Jason Kelce says he hasn’t experienced post-retirement depression yet — but expects it to ‘set in’
Jason Kelce is settling into life after retiring from the NFL — but it’s “weird,” he says.
“I’m actually probably more busy than I’ve ever been,” he tells TODAY.com, promoting his new partnership with charcoal company Kingsford.
Kelce announced his retirement in March after his Philadelphia Eagles started the season 10-1 before losing six of their last seven games, culminating in a crushing playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kelce’s brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, meanwhile, returned to the Super Bowl to become a three-time champ.
Travis Kelce, along with Eagles and Taylor Swift fans, was wiping his eyes after Kelce’s 45-minute retirement speech, dedicated to his 13-season career in the NFL with the Eagles and to his family.
Speaking to TODAY.com, Kelce says he’s most looking forward to spending more time with his wife and children.
“And I’m looking forward to being able to watch football,” he adds.
While in the NFL, most of his time was spent planning for games, watching tape of past performances and “trying to focus on how to lead the team,” he says.
“I haven’t been able to just spectate and appreciate an NFL season, you know, ever,” he says. “I’m looking forward to really watching all the games this year that I can, and to take in the entire atmosphere, the NFL in a different way.”
Kelce will now take on a role with ESPN. In May, the sports network announced Kelce will join “Monday Night Countdown,” a pregame show for “Monday Night Football.”
He’s also shown that he can bring the energy as a football fan, famously taking his shirt off in the middle of January to cheer on his brother and the Chiefs to victory over the Buffalo Bills (with his brother’s girlfriend, Swift, nearby).
But life after retirement isn’t all broadcasting and beer. The former center previously said “everybody goes through a level of depression” after leaving the league.
He tells TODAY.com he isn’t “in depression right now, yet.”
“I think it is going to set in,” he says. “There’s a depressed state; I don’t know that it’s full-on depression. But for me, right now, I just experience sadness here and there.”
He reiterates that “everybody goes through it,” citing conversations with other former players. Kelce expects it to “set in” once the NFL picks back up, with preseason games starting in August and the kickoff of the regular season set for Sept. 5 in Kansas City.
He says he’s “excited about what life is going to be after football.”
“There’s family to raise and girls that are getting older, every single day,” he says. “But there’s no question that it does feel like something is missing. It feels like there’s a piece of me for the last 13 years that every day I’ve talked to (Eagles offensive line coach) Jeff Stoutland and the different teammates in our building, and we’ve ironed out different things that we’re trying to improve on.”
The routine of practices, a game schedule and working with a team toward one goal provided “security,” he says.
Now, he’s working on finding his next goal.
“There’s no question that it feels like I’m a little bit figuring out what that is now. Outside of family life, like, what is the thing that is cementing or that I’m doing on a routine basis that’s grounding me?” he says. “I think I’m going to have to figure out what that next thing is now.”
