Kylie Kelce said she saw many versions of husband Jason Kelce’s retirement speech before this week’s emotional announcement.
When speaking to NBC10 Philadelphia, the mother of three said she’s “heard multiple versions over the last four years” prior to Kelce officially calling it a career on Monday after 13 NFL seasons with the Eagles.
“This was a completely different version,” Kylie said of Kelce’s speech, which was a 40-minute trip down memory lane that encompassed his most memorable moments in the City of Brotherly Love.”
“I think every year he sort of started from scratch as to what was sitting on the surface. But when he said that he was contemplating retirement ‘for years,’ he means ‘for years.”‘
Kelce, who will turn 37 in November, spent his entire 13-season career in Philadelphia, where he drunkenly met his wife at a local bar after the team Christmas party in 2014.
“I think I was the only one that had heard his speech before we went into it,” Kylie said. “I think it was just a perfect summary of 13 years. I always say ‘he’s not from [Philadelphia] but he gets it,’ so that was the perfect example.”
In Monday’s speech, Kelce recalled meeting Kylie for the first time at Buffalo Billiards in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia after the two matched on the dating app Tinder.
“I still remember the moment she walked through the door,” the future Hall of Fame center said through tears. “The first instance is burned in my retina. It was like she glided through the opening and then she started talking and I thought, ‘Man is this what love feels like?'”
Kelce previously shared that he fell asleep at the bar that night and his former Eagles teammate, Beau Allen, had to carry him out of the bar because he was so drunk.
Kylie, who joined the Kelce family at the Eagles facility on Monday, was touched by her husband’s kind words.
“Of course it made me emotional, it cracks me up that he tries to talk about what he remembers from that night because he was, as I’ve said before, intoxicated,” Kylie said of the night they met. “It was very very sweet, very kind. It was far too much credit.
“The outpouring of love and support is expected because I know who my husband is and the way he has conducted himself and how that has touched the lives of people… But at the same time, it’s still shocking.”
Things worked out, despite Kelce’s drunken first impression, as the couple eventually tied the knot in April 2018.
They share three daughters, Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, 2, and Bennett, who was born in February 2023 after Kelce’s brother, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce and the Chiefs, defeated Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, 38-35.
Kelce had been at the center of retirement speculation following the Eagles’ season-ending loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the playoffs in January.
That was when he reportedly told his teammates in the locker room after the game that he was retiring.
During Wednesday’s installment of his and Travis’ “New Heights” podcast, Kelce explained that his retirement was “a long time coming,” and that his body couldn’t keep up with his desire to continue playing football.
“I think that’s how I knew. In previous years I’d reach out to other guys, like, ‘Hey, how do you know you want to stop playing?’ What do you think?’” Kelce said.
“The reality was, it was more firm than it’s ever been this year that I don’t think physically I can compete at the level that I want to anymore and really compete the way I want to. My elbow and my knees. It’s just gotten to the point where the deterioration and the recovery and that deterioration really hasn’t manifested on gameday yet.
“But I know it’s going to start doing that and I’d really rather not — I’m hard on myself and if I got out there and I’m not the player I want to be, it’ll crush me. I feel very confident in the decision I made. I know it’s time. I’ve had a really good run but that’s the biggest reason why.”
Kelce added that he’s excited and nervous for his next chapter, and explained that he’d like to remain close to the Eagles and help in any capacity.
The Super Bowl champ also said he’s focused on losing weight, trying new things and continuing their podcast.
Kelce is reportedly being courted by a number of networks but has yet to address if he will take his talents to broadcasting.
