Jason Kelce Retires From NFL. Next Stop? The Pro Football Hall of Fame

As Jason Kelce, donning a Philadelphia Eagles tank top, sat down for a highly anticipated press conference at the team's NovaCare Complex on Monday afternoon, the weight of the moment immediately took over. The Eagles center's voice was shaky, and within a few seconds, he started to cover his watering eyes. An announcement everyone in the room—including his brother Travis Kelce in the front row—knew was coming still wasn't going to be easy to get out.

After weeks of contemplation, Kelce officially announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons during a tear-filled speech that stretched nearly an hour.

"I've been asked many times why did I chose football—what drew me to the game—and I never have an answer that gets it right," the 36-year-old said. "The best way I could explain it is what draws you to your favorite song ... It's what it makes you feel. The seriousness of it. The intensity of it. Stepping on the field was the most alive and free I ever felt."

The City of Brotherly Love's beloved No. 62 rattled thank-yous to countless coaches, teammates and fans—plus cafeteria members and security staff, among others—while offering some career highlights. He raved about his mother, Donna, becoming the "mom of the NFL," cracked up about Nick Sirianni sending him beer kegs the last few years in an effort to convince him to keep playing, and a classic blizzard game against the Detroit Lions in 2013, which he still considers perhaps the most fun he's ever had on the gridiron.

Still, there should be plenty of material for Kelce's next milestone speech.

In five years, the Cleveland Heights product will be eligible to take up a permanent residence about 60 miles south in Canton, Ohio, with a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kelce is among the most decorated players at his position in NFL history. Only a handful of full-time centers are among the 48 offensive linemen currently enshrined in the Hall of Fame, per its website, and this Eagles great has a more-than-compelling case to join them. If Kelce is voted in when he is first eligible as part of the class of 2029, he would be the first center since 1987 to do so on his first try, per CantonRep.

Here's a closer look at the now-retired All-Pro's Hall of Fame resume and career highlights.

Kelce on Hall-of-Fame-Caliber All-Pro Level

Kelce walks away from the NFL having stayed one of the elite linemen the league has to offer, including its premier center, all the way to his final snap.

The seven-time Pro Bowler was the highest-graded player at his position last year, per Pro Football Focus, among centers with 1,000+ snaps, and was rewarded for his standout performance with first-team All-Pro recognition from the Associated Press. Again. This marked the sixth time, all coming in the last seven seasons, that Kelce earned first-team All-Pro status.

Only four other centers in NFL history have accomplished that feat—Jim Otto, Bulldog Turner, Dermontti Dawson and Jim Ringo. All of them are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As far as the Eagles—who undoubtedly will soon announce plans to add the fan-favorite center to their Ring of Honor—only Hall of Famers Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White can also boast at least six All-Pro selections in their careers across franchise history, per Sports Illustrated.

"I am very proud knowing where I once was and the legacy I have left behind, and the man we have to thank is Jeff Stoutland," Kelce said of his accolades, acknowledging his offensive line coach for turning his career around after a rocky 2016 season.

Perhaps this best sums up Kelce's Hall of Fame case: Fifty-four players have been named All-Pro at least six times, per CBS Sports. And yes, all of them are in Canton (Aaron Donald, Zack Martin and Bobby Wagner are other active players who also have that many nods).

The biggest missing piece on the center's Hall of Fame resume could be the lack of an NFL All-Decade Team honor, having missed out on the all-2010s list. Despite having only played for the first chunk of this decade, Kelce has a strong case for inclusion on the 2020s edition, if he even needs another bullet point in his favor to be enshrined.

Consistency Was Key for Kelce

Kelce answered a call in 2011 from then-Eagles head coach Andy Reid who notified him his NFL dreams had become a reality—Philadelphia was selecting him in the sixth round of that year's draft, 191st overall. The six-time All-Pro more than lived up to that draft slot.

And perhaps the greatest sixth-round pick—well, aside from Tom Brady—in recent memory's greatest strength may have been his availability.

Despite dealing with a variety of injuries and ailments over more than a decade in the league, the former walk-on linebacker with the Cincinnati Bearcats (turned undersized yet punishing and agile linemen) played in 193 regular-season NFL games, second-most in Eagles history. And Kelce finished his career with 156 consecutive starts, which surpassed the franchise's previous record of 144 last season.

Kelce raved about the accountability he took playing in front of demanding Eagles fans for his entire NFL journey during his final press conference. Toughness to be on the field was something he knew they would expect—and he gave it to them.

"It has always been a goal of mine to play my whole career in one city," Kelce said Monday. "And I couldn't have dreamt of a better one, and a better fit, if I tried ... I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities that await, and I know that I carry with me the lessons from my time here. And that forever we shall all share the bond of being Philadelphians."

Unforgettable Super Bowl Win (and Speech)

As kids playing in the backyard, Kelce shared, he and his brother pictured themselves as NFL stars making plays on Super Bowl Sunday, winning rings in the process. At a certain point, they didn't have to imagine that anymore.

During his farewell, Kelce recalled feeling gutted during a 2017 regular season—which he described as his personal best—game upon hearing that the team's starting quarterback, Carson Wentz, had torn his ACL. But that didn't stop the Eagles, Philly Special and all, from going on a championship-winning run, eventually defeating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII.

The only Lombardi Trophy on Kelce's resume—having lost the "Kelce Bowl" to his brother and the Chiefs last year—may be the defining on-field highlight for the future Hall of Famer. Off the field? Well, that came a few days later. Philly's boisterous center, with a costume fitting for the occasion, delivered one of the more memorable speeches in recent sports history at the celebratory parade, where Monday he remembered meeting a fan who brought ashes of a loved one to witness a day Eagles fans may have never expected to see.

Kelce said he doesn't know what's next in his football, or non-football, life. There's his popular New Heights podcast with Travis, plus a potential career on TV.

Nonetheless, over a decade-plus in the league, the former—yes, former—Eagles center has been called many things: All-Pro, Taylor Swift's boyfriend's brother and even one of the Sexiest Men Alive. But after a few short years of retirement, as Canton can attest, "Hall of Famer" will likely be added to the list.