Jason Kelce Lost 30 Pounds in Retirement and Here's Why He Says It Changed His Life at 38

Jason Kelce, retired center for the Philadelphia Eagles, has been in the news quite a bit recently because of his 25+ pound weight loss. Kudos to the father of four daughters for prioritizing his health after transitioning from the intense demands of a professional athlete to a brand-new, super healthy chapter of life. Here's why Jason Kelce says losing 30 pounds during his retirement has changed his life.

Following the announcement of his retirement, Kelce revealed he was embarking on a health journey to "slim down," according to PEOPLE. He made certain lifestyle tweaks after his football career, noting that his goal weight was 250 pounds during a March 2024 episode of New Heights.

"This last week I got down to like 285 because I knew I was doing this and then I had cake like three days in a row," he shared on the podcast.

Kelce told GQ that he weighed 295 pounds for a solid chunk of his time in the NFL.

"I look forward to losing some of those pounds. I don't want to get too small," he added. "I think a lot of guys, especially offensive linemen, they lose too much weight, and then they look like bobbleheads because their neck gets so small, but their head stays the same size."

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When the former NFL center hit 277 pounds on the scale, he had lost roughly 20 pounds from his playing weight—and said this change greatly impacted the health of his knees and back.

"It's hard to imagine another nearly 20 pounds coming off, being honest with you. But my back already feels better. My knees already feel better. So another 20 pounds hopefully will make that much more adept at playing with my children," he told GQ.

Retiring from the NFL has allowed Kelce to shift his focus to his health and weight-loss goals, while giving him the time to "fully enjoy life."

"Everybody exits the league with some type of impediment. I've had a twice-reconstructed right knee, a surgery on my hand, my groin. I've broken toes. I've had my share of things that have gone wrong, not to mention just the wear and tear of playing 13 years in the NFL," he told GQ. "So I'm leaving the game with those scars, but for all intents and purposes, I can play with my kids. I am still able to fully enjoy life, which I consider a blessing whether you played in the NFL or not."

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Looking back, Kelce explained that some of the same key principles that helped him put on weight for football applied to his weight-loss journey.

"You understand calories and diet and exercise more because you need to gain weight [for football]. You end up getting really good at knowing how to lose and gain weight, because you already had done that before," he told Men's Health.

Portion control is something Kelce knows well.

"That's why I'm a big proponent of anybody that wants to lose weight or gain weight, of understanding macronutrients and understanding serving sizes, because a lot of it is just establishing what a normal amount of food is, or what the amount of food is that you need," Kelce shared with Men's Health.

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Fast-forward to July 2025, when Kelce looked back on his weight-loss journey and tried to squeeze back into his University of Cincinnati jersey.

"I look like a long snapper now," the retired football star said during an episode of New Heights (via PEOPLE). "Do I go back to number 48, my linebacker numbers? Would that look better? That would even look more like a long snapper. 48's a long snapper number."

For more weight-loss success stories, check out Adele Lost 100 Pounds and Here Are 6 Workout Habits That Transformed Her Body.