Travis Kelce was in tears as his brother Jason delivered his retirement speech in Philadelphia on Monday. The Kansas City Chiefs star was pictured wiping his tears while sitting front row with their parents Ed and Donna, as Jason held his closing press conference after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
During the speech, Jason mentioned playing football with Travis in the backyard as kids. He also recalled the emotion he felt when he got drafted into the NFL, and when Travis got drafted two years later. ‘I won’t forget two years later, that same man [Ed] and my brother receiving a call when he got drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. This time we were both in tears.’ Jason continued to praise Travis and relished their relationship, even when they competed against each other. Jason pointed out how his career brought him to the City of Brotherly Love but – but he ‘always knew what it felt like.’
After 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jason Kelce officially announced his retirement
A very emotional day for the Kelce family as Jason announces his retirement 🥹💚
(via @EliotShorrParks)pic.twitter.com/BWEzwvF0ul
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) March 4, 2024
‘There is no chance I would be here without the bond Travis and I shared,’ Jason shared. ‘We have a small family. It was really my brother and I, our whole lives. We did almost everything together, competed, fought, cried. We invented games, we won countless Super Bowls in our minds before we left the house.’
Jason also detailed how he felt when he and the Eagles lost to Travis and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl last year. ‘I won’t forget falling short of the Chiefs – the immense feeling of heartbreak I felt selfishly for myself and my teammates and at the same time the amount of pride I had for my brother.’ This past season, the Eagles went 10-1 in their first 11 games. However, they experienced a late-season skid and lost five of their last six meetings.
Travis Kelce was in tears as his brother Jason delivered his retirement speech in Philadelphia
The outcry from the Philadelphia fanbase peaked when they lost, 27-10, to the struggling New York Giants in their season finale. The defeat was followed by another blowout to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round. After the 32-9 loss, it was reported that Kelce told his teammates in the locker room he was retiring. However, the center denied the speculations, claiming he was ‘still figuring out’ the situation.
On Monday, Kelce officially hung up his cleats in an emotional press conference. After stepping off the stage, Jason approached and hugged Travis before his wife Kylie and their parents. Kelce’s career was highlighted by seven Pro Bowls, six first-team All-Pro selections, and a Super Bowl title in 2017.
