Well, Eagles fans, it’s officially happened: Jason Kelce, said to be one of the best centers in NFL history, has announced his retirement. His retirement is a huge loss for the Philadelphia Eagles, of course; he played his entire career in the National Football League — all 13 seasons — with the Eagles. He has been a fantastic player, not to mention an awesome #GirlDad and diehard supporter of his brother, Travis Kelce, in this year’s Super Bowl.
But we’re not here to discuss Jason Kelce and his illustrious career; we’re here to discuss Jason Kelce and that emotional press conference, where he announced his retirement. In front of millions, Kelce openly wept as he discussed his time playing football, what it meant to him, and said thank you to those who made a difference to him — his teachers, his coaches, his brother, Eagles fans, and, of course, his parents.
The only thing I could think of, though, was that I didn’t want a “thank you” from Jason Kelce. No, I feel like he deserves a thank you from us, and not because he was such a fantastic football player.
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I have six kids, two of them boys… and I can’t tell you what it meant to see someone like Jason Kelce be openly emotional. Let’s be real: there are literally no role models for boys who aren’t afraid to show their emotions. But Jason Kelce did. It was incredible.
(Travis, by the way, was there for his brother’s retirement speech… and he was seen crying, too.)
My daughters can get emotional all they want. They can laugh, they can cry, they can hug their friends or hold their hands, and no one judges them for it. But boys? As ridiculous as it is, boys are still judged for crying. Men are supposed to be tough, and stoic, and strong. Toxic masculinity is still alive and strong, even in 2024. That makes what Jason Kelce did so important.
Kelce is, by any measure, a so-called “manly man.” He’s a football player, of course, and a star football player at that. He’s outgoing, over-the-top, and — as we all saw during the Kansas City Chiefs playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, when he ripped his shirt off in celebration of his brother’s touchdown — unafraid to be completely who he is. He’s a tough guy, someone you might describe as a frat bro, a jock to the nth degree.
But he’s also someone who can cry openly, with literally the entire world watching, and be unashamed.
So, as a boy mom, I have to say: thank you. I love seeing such a great example of positive masculinity, a role model showing my sons that they can be tough athletes who cry; a man demonstrating that weeping doesn’t make him a sissy, or overly sensitive, or (insert eyeroll here) heaven forbid, girly. Men have emotions. Men have feelings. Men cry, too, and Jason Kelce showed that it’s OK. There aren’t a lot of examples out there like the Kelce brothers, so from this grateful mom (and, I expect, other boy moms across America), I have to say thank you. Thank you for showing my sons it’s OK to cry.
