Not only is Jason Kelce not retiring, he's sticking around even longer.
The Eagles and Kelce on Saturday morning agreed to a one-year contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2021 season.
The week at the combine started by the Eagles' announcement that they were letting Nick Foles walk in free agency. But in the past two days, they've handed out extensions to Kelce and Brandon Graham, two other Super Bowl heroes. The Eagles have prioritized taking care of their own in recent seasons and the trend continues.
With the new year added, Kelce's annual salary over the next three years is now $11 million, making him the highest-paid center in the NFL, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
At the end of the season, there was some speculation that Kelce would retire and he didn't exactly put that to rest, admitting that at this point in his career, those are things he thinks about. But now the 31-year-old - who is arguably the best center in the NFL - isn't going anywhere.
If it took this extension to make sure he stuck around, the Eagles absolutely did the right thing.
Before this extension, Kelce had just two years left on his previous contract. He was set to make $6.5 million in 2019 and $7 million in 2020, but that was all non-guaranteed money. This contract likely (and rightfully) fixes that.
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If there was a thought that Isaac Seumalo was drafted to become Kelce's replacement, that thought is obviously on hold as Kelce's level of play hasn't dipped even a little bit. In the 2018 season, he was hampered by a serious knee injury early in the year, but by the end of the season was back to playing at his usual high level.
Since being drafted in the sixth round back in 2011, Kelce has turned into an All-Pro player, making him one of the best draft picks in Eagles history. He's played in 110 games with the Eagles and is a two-time All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler. Aside from becoming a hero for his Super Bowl parade speech, Kelce has been one of the Eagles best players for a long time.
And he's going to stick around a little longer.
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