2025 Philadelphia Eagles Collection

Philadelphia, PA – March 20, 2025, 12:42 AM PDT
Jason Kelce, the former Philadelphia Eagles center who retired in March 2024, has shared a deeply personal reason for his absence from teammate Brandon Graham’s retirement press conference on March 17, 2025. Graham, a two-time Super Bowl champion and the franchise’s all-time leader in games played with 195, announced his retirement after 15 seasons at the NovaCare Complex, marking the end of a legendary career.

On the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Kelce revealed that he was at the hospital with his newborn son, who had been battling pneumonia. “My little boy was diagnosed with pneumonia, and I’ve been at the hospital for the last three days,” Kelce said, his voice filled with emotion. “It broke my heart not to be there for Brandon, but I had to be with my son.” Kelce and his wife, Kylie, welcomed their fourth child, a boy, in late February 2025, just weeks after the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win.

Kelce and Graham, teammates for 13 seasons, won Super Bowls in 2018 and 2025, with Graham’s strip-sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII a defining moment. Despite their bond, Kelce’s absence sparked mixed reactions on X, with some fans upset, saying, “Kelce should’ve been there for BG,” while others supported him, noting, “Family comes first—prayers for his son.” Kelce has since spoken with Graham, and the two plan to celebrate soon.