Playing offensive line in the NFL isn’t exactly the healthiest lifestyle, and Jason Kelce says now that he’s retired, he’s building a body that’s designed more for a long life with his wife and kids than for battling with 300-pound opponents.
Kelce, who retired this offseason after 13 seasons playing center for the Eagles, said that like most players who played as long as he did, he has plenty of ailments — but for the most part he left the NFL in reasonably good health.
“Everybody exits the league with some type of impediment,” Kelce told GQ.com. “I’ve had a twice-reconstructed right knee, a surgery on my hand, my groin. I’ve broken toes. I’ve had my share of things that have gone wrong, not to mention just the wear and tear of playing 13 years in the NFL. So I’m leaving the game with those scars, but for all intents and purposes, I can play with my kids. I am still able to fully enjoy life, which I consider a blessing whether you played in the NFL or not.”
At just under 300 pounds, Kelce was small by the standards of an NFL offensive lineman, but he is slimming down in retirement and wants to lose more weight.
“As far as the weight is concerned, I weighed 295 for the majority of my NFL career, and I look forward to losing some of those pounds,” Kelce said. “I don’t want to get too small. I think a lot of guys, especially offensive linemen, they lose too much weight, and then they look like bobbleheads because their neck gets so small, but their head stays the same size. So for me, I feel like for some reason, 250 to 260 feels like I’ll be still big and be happy with the way I look without having a six-pack. But I’ll still be able to have that stature a little bit. Right now, I’m about 277. I’m almost 20 pounds down right now. It’s hard to imagine another nearly 20 pounds coming off, being honest with you. But my back already feels better. My knees already feel better. So another 20 pounds hopefully will make that much more adept at playing with my children.”
At age 36, Kelce is beginning a second career in broadcasting, and looking forward to many years of that, in good health.