Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce announced his retirement earlier this offseason with an emotional speech that could make anyone cry. Despite his decision, one of Philadelphia’s newest stars is attempting to lure Kelce out of retirement.
Saquon Barkley Attempts To Lure Jason Kelce out of Retirement
On the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley joined Jason and his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. As the former Eagle discussed how excited he was about Philadelphia’s latest additions, Barkley reassured him that he didn’t necessarily have to be a bystander.
“Dude it’s going to be so fun to watch. It’s going to be so fun to be a part of; it’s going to be great,” Jason said.
“You don’t got to watch it, you know?” Barkley responded in an attempt to talk the former Eagle out of retirement.
Barkley was unsuccessful however in his first attempt to lure Kelce out of retirement.
“I’m not gonna come back” said Kelce immediately after.
While Barkley’s attempt to talk Jason out of retirement will likely fail, it’s surprising to even see the star running back with the Eagles. Philadelphia’s general manager Howie Roseman had a history of rarely paying significant money to running backs.
Yet, Roseman and the Eagles clearly view Barkley as a game-changer and leader, both on and off the field. Roseman recently met with reporters at the NFL’s annual league meeting and discussed why he felt Barkley was worth signing to a big contract, despite playing a position that many believe Philadelphia didn’t value highly.
“It’s hard to find special players at any position, and we think Saquon is a special player,” Roseman said. “We think he’s a special person, and so when you’re trying to find those guys, they’re hard to find, especially on the open market.”
Kelce Hints at Potentially Missing Out on Huge Season
While Barkley is clearly attempting to talk the former Eagles center out of retirement, it seems like the thoughts were already in Jason’s mind several weeks ago. In an episode of the New Heights podcast following the opening days of free agency, Kelce discussed the questions he was asked after all of Philadelphia’s big signings.
“Social media has been nonstop saying, ‘Jason, are you sure you want to retire?'” the former Eagle said to his brother Travis. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m pretty positive,’ even though, a little bit upset Howie waited until I retired to make a move like this!”
Jason was specifically discussing the signing of Barkley at the time, which is ironically who is now trying to talk the former Eagles center out of retirement. While Jason’s decision has already been made, it’s clear that he understands how good Philadelphia could potentially be next season.
“This is what I’m regretting. I knew when I retired that I was going to miss just an outstanding season for the Philadelphia Eagles, and it stinks; I want to be a part of this so bad,” Jason said.
While players have unretired in the past, Jason likely wants to focus on his family and his promising career away from the field. Yet, that hasn’t stopped Philadelphia’s newest star from trying to recruit one of the greatest players in the franchise’s history to rejoin the team.
KEEP READING: Saquon Barkley Signing With the Eagles Made Giants Owner John Mara ‘Sick’
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