19 February 2024 , 04:00
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NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal gave some golden advice to Jason Kelce as he thinks about whether to retire from the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles star, 36, was distraught when his team lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January's NFL Playoff Wild Card Round. He's been playing in the NFL since 2011 and now he's trying to decide if it's time to end his illustrious career. Shaq, who stopped playing basketball the same year Kelce started in the NFL, shared some wise words with the Super Bowl champ.
"My advice to you is if you are going to retire, accept it, enjoy your family, brother," said the big man who used to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. "I made a lot of dumba** mistakes to where I lost my family, and I didn't have anybody. That's not the case for you. So, enjoy your beautiful wife, enjoy your beautiful kids and never dwell on what we had.
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"What we had is what we got - you got the (Super Bowl) ring, people know who you are, enjoy. Because, again, I was an idiot, and I've talked about it a long time. I love my whole family. I'm in a 100,000-square-foot house by myself." After the Eagles were knocked out of the playoffs, there were rumours that Kelce had told his teammates he was retiring.
But the six-time First-Team All-Pro player said he hadn't made up his mind yet. His younger brother, Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, also said it wasn't the end of Jason's career. Before Super Bowl LVIII, Kelce was a guest on O'Neal's show: 'The Big Podcast with Shaq.'
He talked about when he'll decide if he's going to play next season or retire. "Still figuring it out," Kelce said. "I think if I still want to play, I'm going to play. I think right now we're not far enough away from the last game. It's emotional, it's a long season, the end of the season quite frankly, awful.
O'Neal retied from the NBA in 2011 - the same year Kelce made his debut in the NFL (YouTube/The Big Podcast with Shaq)"So I'm just going to take some time, rest, recoup and then figure it out. I think I'll have an answer in the next couple weeks." Whether he decides to play next season or not, Kelce is already thinking about the chapter of his life.
Front Office Sports reported that he met with ESPN and Fox to find out more about TV broadcasting jobs that might be available to him. Once he stops playing, he could be a popular choice for networks, but he's keeping the football world waiting for his decision.
"I didn't announce what I was doing on purpose, despite, I guess, what's been leaked to the media," Jason said on an episode of the New Heights podcast, with Travis. "I just don't think you're in a position after a game like that to really make that decision, I just don't, there's too much emotion in the moment, there's too much going down in the moment to really fully grasp that decision."