Jason and Travis Kelce were seen sharing an emotional embrace after the Eagles star paid a heartbreaking tribute to his younger brother in his retirement speech.
Following 13 seasons in the NFL, during which he won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia and earned six first-team All-Pro nominations, the 36-year-old Eagles center called time on his career on Monday.
As emotional and tearful as he was in front of reporters during a press conference held by the Eagles, Jason said of the Chiefs tight end, who he lost to in Super Bowl LVII last year: ‘This is where its gonna go off the rails. I won’t forget falling short to the Chiefs and the conflicting feeling of the men’s heartbreak I had selfishly for myself and my teammates.
.@JasonKelce hugs his family after a moving retirement press conference. pic.twitter.com/o6kg5jRUHU
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2024
‘And at the same time, the amount of pride I had in my brother,’ he further pointed out, adding: ‘We have a small family. No cousins. One aunt and one uncle. It was really my brother and I our whole lives.
‘We did almost everything together. Competing, fought, laughed, cried and learned from each other. We invented games, imagined ourselves as the star players of that time. We envisioned making the game winning plays, day after day, on Coolridge Road. We won countless Super Bowls in our minds before ever leaving the house.’
Having been raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Jason recalled his kid brother’s impact early-on on his career, noting that without his support, he wouldn’t be often regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history. Travis shed a tear while his older brother announced his retirement.
Get your tissues ready for @JasonKelce speaking about his relationship with @tkelce. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/XTvnOb4umw
— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2024
Jason further said of his bond with his ‘lil’ bro”: ‘And when we weren’t playing, we were at the other’s one’ games. Butt seated in a long chair or bench, a Capri Sun in our hands that mom had packed, cheering during the game and waiting outside and afterward to celebrate a victory together. Or offer encouragement after a defeat.
‘There is no chance I’d be here without the bond that Travis and I share. It made me stronger, tougher, smarter and taught me the values of cooperation, loyalty, and understanding.’
Outside of football, Jason and Travis remain as close as ever, co-hosting the podcast New Heights, on which they discuss their playing careers, as well as each other’s games.
On Saturday, the Kelce brothers were honored with a bobblehead giveaway at the Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics game. The two siblings have always held an affinity for their hometown despite taking their careers elsewhere.
Jason was a sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati in the 2011 draft. The burly, bushy-haired and bearded Kelce has been a stalwart of the offensive line since he was drafted and as an Iron Man after he missed most of the 2012 season with a partially torn MCL and torn ACL.
He went on to play 193 regular-season games for the Eagles, making 156 straight starts.
