Jason Kelce Advises Brother Travis Kelce to ‘Step Away from the Game’ While He Considers NFL Retirement

Jason Kelce is speaking from experience.

The retired Philadelphia Eagles star, 38, shared retirement advice for his brother Travis Kelce, who many are speculating will step away from football at the end of this season after 13 years in the NFL.

“In my opinion, to nail that decision, you gotta step away from the game for a little bit,” Jason said while addressing questions about his 36-year-old brother’s retirement plans on Monday Night Countdown on Monday, Dec. 15.

“Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches… and then let it sink in. It’ll come to you with time. There are so many emotions with this game right after a season, especially with the way this one’s been,” he continued, referencing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ season-ending injury on Sunday, and that their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers officially knocked the team out of the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons.

ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown’s Jason Kelce.

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“Right now, it’s just too fresh,” the former Eagles center, who retired from the NFL in March 2024 after 13 years with the team, said. “You’ve gotta step away from it, you’ve gotta think about it and then it’ll come to you.”

Sunday’s game was a nightmare for the Chiefs, between the loss and Mahomes’ injury, which turned out to be an ACL and LCL tear in his left knee. The Chiefs announced on Monday that Mahomes underwent successful surgery and will start rehab “immediately.”

Travis Kelce after the Chiefs lost to the Chargers on Dec. 14, 2025.

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Travis himself has yet to speak out following the Chiefs’ recent loss and playoff elimination; however, he appeared to hold back tears after the game against the Chargers, somberly hanging his head as he walked past reporters and fans on his way to the locker room.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes Won’t Make Playoffs or Super Bowl After Chiefs Lose Must-Win Game

In a video shared on X, Kelce was seen walking slowly with his helmet in his hand after the must-win game. At one point, the Chiefs tight end lightly hit the wall in frustration.

Chris Jones, meanwhile, wasn’t aware that his team missed the playoffs until the post-game press conference. It was seemingly a tough pill to swallow for the Chiefs defensive tackle, who asked, “Are we out of the playoffs?” before taking in the news.

Jason and Travis Kelce hug after the Eagles-Chiefs game in November 2023.

While the Chiefs won’t be in the playoffs, the team still has three more games to play this season. They take on the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 21, the Denver Broncos for a Christmas Day game at home and Las Vegas Raiders on Jan. 4.