Travis Kelce wipes away tears as brother Jason announces NFL retirement

sports

by nicky cox

Travis Kelce was overcome with emotion as he watched his older brother Jason Kelce announce his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons.

During a press conference on Monday, Jason broke down in tears and struggled to finish his speech.

The Kansas City Chiefs star (who was seated in the front row next to his parents Donna and Ed Kelce and sister-in-law Kylie Kelce) was also seen wiping away tears with a tissue.

But the 34-year-old arrived prepared, his face hidden behind dark sunglasses.

Throughout the press conference, Travis never took his eyes off his brother, and Jason reflected on their childhood and everything leading up to that moment.

Like his younger brother, the legendary Philadelphia Eagles center, 36, choked up the moment he sat at the podium and took a minute to compose himself before reading a prepared speech.

Jason reflected on his love for football and the city of Philadelphia, and the influence of playing alongside Travis in the NFL.

“It really was a lifetime for my brother and I. We did almost everything together, competing, fighting, laughing, crying and learning from each other,” Jason said.

“We invented the game. Imagine ourselves as the star players of our time. We envisioned ourselves making winning plays every day. Before we left the house, we would count I remembered in my mind that we won more Super Bowls than ever before. And when we weren't playing, we went to each other's games.”

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The now-retired NFL star also reflected on the brothers' matchup in the 2023 Super Bowl, which Travis and the Chiefs won.

“I'll never forget the conflicting feelings of not being as good as the Chiefs and the huge heartbreak I selfishly felt for myself and my teammates,” Jason said with tears in his eyes. “At the same time, I was very proud that his brother had climbed the mountain again.”

He concluded his heartfelt speech by officially declaring that his time in the NFL was over.

“All of this brings us here today to announce that I am retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles,” he said.

“And today I have to admit that I'm officially overrated. A lot overrated,” he joked. “It took a lot of hard work and determination to get to this point.”

Jason admitted he didn't know “what will happen next,” but said he was “looking forward to new challenges and lessons.”

Travis was one of the first to hug Jason as he came off stage, and the two shared a touching hug.

Travis wore a color-blocked button-up shirt to the press conference, while Jason, in typical fashion, wore a casual black Eagles cut-off shirt.

Prior to the press conference, Travis and his brother participated in a cancer fundraiser in memory of Brendan McDermott, a young man who recently passed away after a battle with colorectal cancer.

Jason was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in the 2011 draft and went on to become one of the best centers of all time, winning a Super Bowl in 2018 and being selected to the NFL Pro Bowl seven times during his illustrious career. .

NFL fans, and Taylor Swift fans alike, began speculating that Jason would lace up his cleats in January after the Eagles lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs.

Before the game, Jason reportedly told his teammates that this would likely be the last time he would play with them.