Jason Kelce is calling it a career. There were reports immediately following the playoff game that it was over. Adam Schefter reported it the following day. You could almost tell with the way he was acting after the game. But we still hadn’t heard it from the man himself. Taht changed today. Jason Kelce spoke to the media today and announced he is calling it a career.

Kelce is easily one of the most beloved players in the Eagles’ history. Not just for how great he is on the field, but for what he has done off of it. This year marked the 6th time he made the All-Pro first team. Only 5 other centers made at least 6 All-Pro teams. Only 1 did so in the last 50 years. What makes it more impressive is he made all of them after turning 30. Kelce closed out his career by being named the best center in 6 of his final 7 seasons.

He will walk into Canton one day. The Eagles will almost certainly retire his number one day. But Eagles fans don’t need any of those accolades to know how great Kelce is.

With Centers, it is hard to put together a highlight reel. A lot of what offensive linemen do does not necessarily get noticed by fans on a play-to-play basis. Jason Kelce changed that bit. There are so many big plays in the last 13 seasons where you will see Jason Kelce downfield leading the way for the ball carrier. Kelce changed the position. Forcing teams to look for more agile centers like him, as opposed to the old-school brick wall we often saw play center in the past.

So in honor of his great career, let’s look back on some of our fondest Jason Kelce memories.

Here are some of Jason Kelce’s best moments on and off the field:

• His Parade Speech

  NFL on ESPN on Twitter: "Jason Kelce's Super Bowl parade speech is an all-timer 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/FWLpSHKSba / Twitter"

  Jason Kelce's Super Bowl parade speech is an all-timer 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/FWLpSHKSba

  The parade speech is what took Kelce from being a great player, and turned him into an Eagles legend. Every Eagles fan will remember his speech about how much people doubted the Eagles for the rest of time. People knew and liked him before the speech. But it was only after the speech that he became nearly everybody’s favorite player.

• His Down Field Blocks

  This is less about the play itself, and more just a representative of the types of blocks he made his whole career. Here we saw Kelce block Mason Foster 14 yards down field, and then make an additional block to lead the way for a Darren Sproles TD. No other center had the knack for making blocks downfield the way Kelce did. And this was one of his most impressive blocks.

  Mark Bullock on Twitter: "Sproles TD was made by C Jason Kelce. Pulled and reached LB Mason Foster, maintained the block all the way to the first down marker. Sproles cut back inside, Foster couldn't prevent the TD. #Redskins #Eagles pic.twitter.com/y06i4VREX0 / Twitter"

  Sproles TD was made by C Jason Kelce. Pulled and reached LB Mason Foster, maintained the block all the way to the first down marker. Sproles cut back inside, Foster couldn't prevent the TD. #Redskins #Eagles pic.twitter.com/y06i4VREX0

• Jason Kelce Reacts To The AJ Brown Trade

  Jason Kelce has a future in broadcasting. He has dipped his toes in it a bit during his career. Kelce joined the Thursday Night Football crew earlier this year during the Eagles’ bye week. And he has shown he has the personality, and the smarts, to do the job. But my favorite moment of him in front of the camera came from when he joined Bleacher Report to cover the draft. And we got his live reaction to the Eagles trading for AJ Brown. He also had a great reaction to the Eagles drafting Jordan Davis earlier in the night.

  “THIS IS BIG” @JasonKelce and @AdamLefkoe were LOVING the A.J. Brown Eagles trade 😭
  
  Tap in to B/R Gridiron Draft Night now for live reactions to every pick before everyone else https://t.co/fAH0lWnaoT
  
  (@RocketMortgage) pic.twitter.com/ySQBuV7oCL

  — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 29, 2022

• Fast For a Center

  One of the craziest parts of Kelce’s game is how fast he is for a center. It goes along with what he talked about earlier with him making downfield blocks. But we saw earlier this season, that even at 36, he can still move. Most centers don’t move like this. Kelce was at the end of his career and still doing it.

  Warren Sharp on Twitter: "Kelce dumped him pic.twitter.com/s4kto8jguH / Twitter"

  Kelce dumped him pic.twitter.com/s4kto8jguH

• The Christmas Albums

  It’s not just on the field though that Kelce made magic happen. He did it in the recording studio too. The Eagles Christmas album has been a highlight in each of the past two seasons. And while his voice may be the weakest of the 3 Eagles Linemen, it still was just another thing to add to his legacy.

• Being Named Sexiest Man Alive

  On top of all the awards he won from the NFL, he also received an award this year that no one but his wife saw coming. People Magazine made him a finalist for The Sexiest Man Alive. There is a reason they call him Sexy Batman.

  NFL on Prime Video on Twitter: ""My wife tells me all the time I'm the sexiest man in the world."Ladies and gentlemen, introducing @JasonKelce to the #TNFonPrime desk. pic.twitter.com/tlfXwzsDyY / Twitter"

  "My wife tells me all the time I'm the sexiest man in the world."Ladies and gentlemen, introducing @JasonKelce to the #TNFonPrime desk. pic.twitter.com/tlfXwzsDyY

• The Iron Man Streak

  Perhaps the craziest thing about Kelce’s career, is how healthy he has been. Playing center takes its toll. Just go watch his Amazon Prime Doc to see the injuries Kelce deals with on a day-to-day basis. But he always played. He got injured in his 2nd season, and since then never missed a single game. He broke Jon Runyan’s franchise record for consecutive starts. With his retirement, his streak will end at 157 games. For an offensive lineman to be that dependable, is incredibly impressive.

  Adam Schefter on Twitter: "Philadelphia center Jason Kelce will make his 145th straight start Sunday and set the franchise record for the most consecutive starts in Eagles' history. He will pass offensive tackle Jon Runyan, who played 144 straight games for the Eagles from 2000-2008. Asked about it this... / Twitter"

  Philadelphia center Jason Kelce will make his 145th straight start Sunday and set the franchise record for the most consecutive starts in Eagles' history. He will pass offensive tackle Jon Runyan, who played 144 straight games for the Eagles from 2000-2008. Asked about it this...

• He Gets Philly Fans

  Perhaps the biggest reason we love him, is he just gets Philly fans. He proved that during his retirement speech.

  “They will love you in this city, if you love it. You will be loved by going above and beyond to show you care. Because they care. They have been caring for generations about this team, and they aren’t about to accept excuses and soft ass nonsense representing the name on the front of their jersey. Love them, treat them like your brothers, and go out and play your balls off. I guarantee you will change those narratives.”

  Thank you for everything Jason.

  Tim McManus on Twitter: "Jason Kelce on the city of Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/fWNcyGG303 / Twitter"

  Jason Kelce on the city of Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/fWNcyGG303

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