Jason Kelce Michael Owens/Getty Images
The hottest free agent in sports broadcasting has officially found his home.
Less than two months after he announced his NFL retirement, Jason Kelce has landed a job with ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, according to a Monday, April 29 report by The Athletic.
Kelce, 36, had been highly sought-after for a television role after his 13-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles came to an end in March.
Monday Night Countdown is the studio show — with some on-site broadcasts — that precedes Monday Night Football. Kelce is expected to be joined by host Scott Van Pelt and analysts Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark. Robert Griffin III is not expected back, per The Athletic.
Jason Kelce has been a fixture of the Philadelphia Eagles offense for more than a decade, but he was realistic about the idea of retirement prior to officially stepping down in March 2024. Kelce was drafted in 2011, becoming the first rookie in Eagles history to start all 16 regular season games at center. He […]
Kelce’s name had been linked to ESPN since a March 27 report by The Athletic revealed the network was hot on his tails. At the time, it was reported that Kelce was also being courted by CBS, NBC and Prime Video, the last of which is the home of Thursday Night Football.
Jason has been a seemingly natural fit for television for a while now, especially given the massive success of his podcast, “New Heights,” which he cohosts with brother Travis Kelce.
In April 2023, Jason was one of 25 current or former players to attend the NFL’s Broadcasting and Media Workshop, a three-day program in which players practiced calling games on radio and television, as well as spending time learning the ropes of being a studio analyst.
“This is all new territory for me. I have even more respect for it now,” Jason told the Associated Press about the experience. “It’s very hard to do something live, reactive of stimulus that just happened and having something clever and meaningful to say.”
While Jason soaked in everything he could from the workshop, he admitted there was one difficult aspect that stood out: remembering players’ names.
“It’s a lot easier when you’re sitting on the couch or have heard the name over and over,” Jason said. “Certainly some of the names are difficult to remember on the spot.”
Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, turned Us into certified 92%ers in 2023. The athletes launched their “New Heights” podcast in 2022, and the show’s popularity took off ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl as Travis and Jason’s respective teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, prepared to play one another in the […]
Monday Night Countdown has also been a sensible spot for Jason given the proximity of ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut, to his home in Philadelphia.
Jason and wife Kylie Kelce share daughters Wyatt, 4, Ellie, 3 and Bennett, 14 months.
The future Hall of Fame center announced his retirement in an emotional March 4 press conference.
“Stepping on the field was the most alive and free I had ever felt,” Jason said. “There was a visceral feeling with football, unlike any sport. The hairs on my arms would stand up. I could hit somebody, run around like a crazed lunatic and then get told, ‘Good job.’ I love football.”
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