Following the final game of the National Football League Wild Card series in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles from the playoffs, a drastic change was made official. Jason Kelce, a veteran offensive lineman who played 13 seasons for the Eagles, announced his retirement from the NFL. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection and former Super Bowl champion concluded his career with another stellar season on the field. Additionally, he continued to co-host the New Heights podcast with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. This original Wave Sports + Entertainment series quickly gained traction from the time it was released in 2022, granting listeners inside perspectives about competing in the NFL.
During the past year, the show faced augmented scrutiny and appeal when it became public that Travis Kelce was dating award-winning singer and songwriter Taylor Swift. Discussion about the relationship and her presence at NFL games is occasionally mentioned on the podcast, which has attained additional notoriety throughout the season.
Jason Kelce, however, could opt to expand his media presence by working in sports media down the road, although no decision has been made known. Earlier in the year, Kelce joined TNF Tonight on Amazon Prime Video’s presentation of Thursday Night Football. Within what he later called “an unbelievable experience,” Kelce appeared both on the studio-based show and in the broadcast booth alongside Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit. In reviewing his performance on a podcast episode, Travis Kelce asked his brother about his perceptions towards a future career in sports media.
“I could do the desk pre/post-show [and] have an opinion on the teams and the games and stuff like that,” Kelce stated at the time. “I think any former player could do that – you just have an opinion on [the teams] – not to [discredit anyone because] those guys are much better at it…. That part isn’t that hard of having an opinion on something.”
On Tuesday morning, Kelce’s retirement was a topic of discussion on Mully & Haugh, the morning drive program on 670 The Score. Co-host Mike Mulligan explained that Kelce probably knew that his body would be unable to withstand another season, prompting him to retire from the game. Mulligan is genuinely happy for Kelce in his decision, conveying that only bad things could have happened from this point on pertaining to his on-field play. This final season has been concurrent with his rise in popularity in the media space, something that people are partially attributing to the relationship between his brother and Swift.
“Taylor Swift is good for Jason Kelce’s Q rating,” co-host David Haugh expressed. “I didn’t even know that we were discussing Jason Kelce’s Q rating a year ago at this time.”
While there has been some speculation as to whether or not Travis Kelce could retire as well following the year, a resolution has yet to be revealed. The Kansas City Chiefs visit Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. to face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs on Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. PST. For Jason Kelce, Haugh believes that he could be calling games or taking part in other endeavors within the sports media landscape sometime in the years to come.
“Now that he can happily enjoy retirement, he’s going to be well sought after and highly compensated for his efforts, whether it’s in the studio, in the booth or on a podcast,” Haugh said. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing that’s going to happen from here. I think he’s going to go on to probably capitalize on his popularity.”
Kelce’s level of interest in taking on another role in sports media outside of the New Heights podcast is currently unknown. Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady is slated to enter the broadcast booth for FOX Sports next season as its lead game analyst. Additionally, a variety of former NFL players – including Julian Edelman, Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty and Rob Gronkowski – have taken on media roles over the last several years.
