Retired Jason Kelce Clears Air on New Role in Football With 4-Word Message on $68M Announcement

By all accounts, Jason Kelce’s path to NFL greatness was never supposed to be easy. In the 2011 draft process, the Cincinnati product clocked in with a Production Score of 58, ranking just 17th among offensive linemen that year. But scouts took notice when he posted an Athleticism Score of 86, second-best at the Combine. His Total Score, placing him 13th overall, forecasted a player with elite movement skills but raw refinement.

What no score could quantify was the relentless drive that would eventually make him the Philadelphia Eagles’ all-time leader in consecutive starts (145), a future Hall of Famer, and the spiritual anchor of one of the NFL’s most consistent offensive lines.

When Kelce retired in March 2024 after 13 seasons, the question wasn’t if he’d stay close to football—it was how. Front office? Coaching? Broadcasting? As it turns out, the answer was something of a mix, with Kelce becoming one of the most influential voices in modern sports media while still maintaining a quiet but respected presence around the Eagles’ organization.

But his name keeps surfacing in scouting circles, especially after Eagles GM Howie Roseman made it clear, on multiple occasions, that he’d welcome Kelce back in a front office role. When Roseman appeared on Up and Adams in early 2024, he casually floated the idea of hiring Kelce into the front office. “I tried to recruit him to come work with me too,” Roseman told Kay Adams, “because he can evaluate players. No, I’m not joking.”

When the Eagles locked in Cam Jurgens with a record-setting extension, Jason Kelce didn’t hold back: “Holy sh-t, congrats to the big man Beef Jurgy! @jurgyco about to skyrocket. Most guaranteed money for a center, big extension, yuge! Happy for the big man; he deserves every penny!” His praise felt less like a retired vet’s shoutout and more like a stamp of approval from someone who’d helped shape Jurgens’ rise. Ross Tucker chimed in to that saying, “Maybe you should get into scouting?” But Kelce brushed it off, “Haha, it’s easy when Stout tells you to watch guys he already likes.” A punchline, sure. But also a quiet admission. Kelce’s eye for talent still matters in Philly, even if he’s not ready to make it official.

Haha, it’s easy when Stout tells you to watch guys he already likes

— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) April 21, 2025

And that brings us to the larger puzzle of post-retirement Kelce. He’s not scouting college tape at 2 a.m. or flying to regional Pro Days. But he’s everywhere else. Since March, he’s signed a $100 million deal with Wondery alongside his brother, Travis, for their wildly popular New Heights podcast. He’s joined ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown and launched his own late-night variety show, They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce, produced at Union Transfer in Philadelphia with local brass-funk band SNACKTIME. He’s seemingly becoming a modern media mogul. But all of that masks the ways he still shapes football conversations in real time.

Kelce’s retirement may have marked the end of an era, but his connection to the Eagles, particularly to Cam Jurgens, remains integral to the franchise’s offensive future. In 2022, Jurgens was drafted as Kelce’s heir apparent, a player with all the athletic tools to succeed but still lacking the experience that comes with years of elite play. Kelce was far from a passive observer in that process. While Jeff Stoutland and the coaching staff worked on Jurgens’ technical skills, Kelce played a hands-on role in guiding him through the mental aspects of the position. Fast forward to 2024, and Jurgens’ extension is a direct reflection of the Eagles’ confidence not just in his athleticism, but also in his ability to sustain the identity Kelce helped establish.

Cam Jurgens: The Eagles’ future with a $68M commitment

Eagles ͏cente͏r͏ Cam Jurgens just͏ locked in a f͏our-year exte͏nsio͏n,͏ an͏nounced on Monda͏y. The deal run͏s through 2029 and is worth ͏$68 milli͏on, with $39.4 milli͏on͏ ͏gu͏a͏ranteed, ͏agent Ryan Tollner to͏l͏d ESPN’͏s Adam͏ Schef͏ter. That͏ $͏17 million average pe͏r ͏year put͏s͏ ͏him s͏econd am͏ong ce͏nters, behind͏ ͏only the Chiefs’ Creed Hu͏mphrey.

Jurgens was about to enter the last year of his rookie contract. The form͏e͏r Nebras͏ka ͏sec͏ond-ro͏und pick step͏pe͏d up big-time last se͏ason after future Hall of F͏am͏er Jason ͏Kelce retired. H͏e wa͏s part of ͏the offens͏i͏ve ͏l͏ine that helped Saquon Barkley s͏m͏ash the NF͏L record͏ for most rushi͏ng yards͏ in a ͏seaso͏n (͏in͏cl͏uding playoffs). ͏Additionally, Jurgens ranked͏ 10͏th among interior lineme͏n in pass-block ͏win ra͏te (95%)͏ and earned his firs͏t Pr͏o͏ Bowl invite.

He battled serious back pain during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. And couldn͏’t start ͏the NFC͏ Championship Ga͏m͏e ͏against W͏ashington after testing o͏ut th͏e͏ injury p͏reg͏ame. ͏Howev͏er, when La͏nd͏on Dick͏erson went ͏down with a͏ kne͏e͏ injury, Jurgens jump͏ed in and pla͏yed th͏e en͏tire secon͏d half against the Commanders. Cam s͏ubsequen͏tly st͏arted in Super Bowl LIX, helping Philly crush the͏ Chiefs͏ 40-22.

He had a back procedure in February to ease nerve pain, sources told Schafter. And͏ doc͏tors e͏xpect him to be fu͏lly ͏recovered͏ b͏y͏ July fo͏r train͏in͏g camp. The Eagl͏es ha͏ve now extended fo͏ur offensive lin͏em͏en over the past year—͏Lane Joh͏nson, Jordan͏ Mailata,͏ Dickers͏on. And now Jurgens—locking down their front line for t͏he foreseeab͏le fu͏ture.͏ What ͏Ca͏m can bri͏ng this season is still som͏et͏hi͏ng to watch.

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