Jason Kelce Opens Up About CTE — and His Fear He Won’t Be Able to Play with His Grandkids
Jason Kelce is looking at the big picture when making decisions about his future.
In a candid scene from Kelce, a Prime Video documentary focusing on the 35-year-old Philadelphia Eagles center’s life throughout the 2022-2023 season, Kelce opens up about his thoughts about how his health will impact his family in the future.
“There have been little things that are not big things yet but are going to turn into big things the longer I play,” he says.
“Not to dress like an elephant in the NFL room, but I am fearful about what the impacts of playing football are going to mean long-term. I have two girls and … some people end up getting CTE and some guys live long, healthy lives,” he levels, referring to the brain disease that has been diagnosed in many deceased professional football players.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen with that because I’ve thought about this,” he says, thinking of the amount of physical impacts in the game and if “it might come back to bite me.”
“Nobody’s guaranteed tomorrow. Nobody’s guaranteed years in advance,” he notes. “We idolize living as long as possible and as healthy as possible. I don’t know that that’s necessarily the meaning of life.”
“If I get CTE and I can’t interact with my grandkids, I would still say playing 12 years in the NFL and making my family super prosperous and being an influential member of at least the city of Philadelphia is a good trade-off.”
On the first episode of season 2 of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce (Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment), wife Kylie Kelce, 31, was asked by brother-in-law Travis Kelce whether she or Jason play “bad cop” more with their three girls — Bennett Llewellyn, 6 months, Elliotte, 2, and Wyatt, 3.
“When Jason’s home, usually he’s the fun one. He does the launching onto the bed and all the things that end up in one of them crying ‘Mom!’ because someone sustains an injury,” Kylie said.
“The only times when he’s bad cop is when I say, ‘Jason!’ and he says, ‘What?’ and I say, ‘A little help!’”
The NFL star agreed with his wife, laughing along with his brother.
the family celebrated “6 months of Bennie 🥰,” with sweet photos of the youngest Kelce.
One photo showed the infant giving the camera a tight-lipped smile as she sat at a counter. Another showed her sleeping, with the last showing Bennett reaching out and putting her hands in Dad’s bushy beard.
“Just the cutest!!!!” commented mother-in-law Donna Kelce.
