Jason Kelce addresses rumors he's heading to ESPN
Former NFL star Jason Kelce is addressing reports he is heading into broadcasting.
"Yeah, nothing's been officially inked yet or announced yet, but obviously there's been a lot of reports out there about me going to ESPN, and you know, I think time will kind of take care of that. But it's a tremendous honor to even be considered to potentially work there," Kelce said in a new episode of his "New Heights" podcast released Wednesday.
The 36-year-old said he is excited about the prospect of potentially getting to work at a network like ESPN, a sports network he and his younger brother Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, grew up watching.
ESPN is currently owned by The Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."
"That network was everything that Travis and I watched growing up. I mean, we talk about it all the time," Kelce said. "Before phones, that was the only way to get all the coverage, and you know, we were glued to the TV each and every day. So, the fact that I may potentially, probably will be working there, it's pretty darn cool."
Kelce added that after he met with ESPN representatives, "it became apparent that it was really the right fit" and that he was "really, really looking forward to this next phase."
The Kelce brothers currently co-host "New Heights" together, a joint talk show podcast they launched in September 2022. Over the years, the sibling duo have discussed NFL news and sports trends and even opened up about their family lives on the weekly program.
Jason Kelce, a former Philadelphia Eagles center, announced back in March that he was retiring after 13 seasons, wrapping up a storied career that saw him win a Super Bowl ring alongside the Eagles in 2018 and play in seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro seasons.
Kelce cited his health and increasing physical challenges as some of the factors that led to his retirement decision.
"If I go out there and I'm not the player that I want to be, it'll crush me. So, I feel very confident in the decision I made. I know that it's time, I've had a really good run," he said at the time.
When reached by "Good Morning America," ESPN had no comment.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ESPN and ABC News.
