And while the Eagles apparently tried hard to keep Kelce, this was the end of the road for him and the franchise.

‘He knows that he wasn’t getting younger, and seeing his brother winning another Super Bowl had him rethink maybe going back to play another season, but he took the best decision as he feels that he needed to stop his career,’ a source told the US Sun.Philly’s executive vice president Howie Roseman – who would have played a pivotal role in the team’s reported last-ditch contract offer to Kelce – was also in attendance.

Kelce needed 45 minutes to recount his career as he fought through tears at the Eagles’ facility before finally confirming his retirement.

He thanked a long list of mentors from his high school football, hockey and lacrosse coaches and his old band teachers at Cleveland Heights (Ohio) high school for putting up with a ‘rambunctious kid that was full of immaturity, stupidly and cockiness.’

He also thanked his coaches at Cincinnati for believing he could play center, a fortuitous decision that made him a great fit in Philadelphia, then thanked his four coaches with the Eagles.

Kelce choked up again thanking Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie for his leadership and general manager Howie Roseman for drafting him.