Walking away from the sport they’ve played and loved throughout their careers. For professional athletes, there are few things tougher than that. And for Jason Kelce, “No matter how well prepared you are to enter the next stage, everybody goes through a level of depression.” That adrenaline rush they get is almost unrivaled, and the thought of not getting that shot of dopamine is what Kelce fears. But turns out J.J. Watt gave Kelce some sound advice on how to continue chasing that rush.

Following Kelce’s retirement announcement after a remarkable 13-season tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, Watt – who retired in 2022 and joined CBS as an NFL analyst – disclosed that he and Kelce delved into the array of post-retirement options available. In an interview with DailyMail, Watt said, “He’s an extremely talented man. He’s got a ton of different options on the table. We just spoke a couple of days ago about some of the options.” 

Missing the dopamine rush himself, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year talked about how he found an alternative, as he invested in the Premier League soccer team, Burnley. Watt said, “I don’t think that you’ll ever truly be able to recreate the highs and the lows of participating in sport. Being a part of the ownership group with Burnley in the Premier League has been huge because I get that high and low every week. And then I get it from watching my brother [TJ on the Steelers]. Obviously, it’s so much fun to watch him play.”

While Kelce may miss the adrenaline of game day, Watt assured that there are other avenues to replicate that rush. He said, “Yeah, I think Jason’s at an advantage. He’s gonna be able to watch his brother [Travis] play. He’s gonna be able to go to more of his brother’s games, and he’s gonna be able to live vicariously through him. So that definitely helps to still be attached to the game in that way.” Lately, the older Kelce has been spotted cheering for Travis more often.

USA Today via Reuters

Another piece of advice the five-time Pro Bowler gave Jason Kelce was to spend more time with family. “Spend time with your family and enjoy every second. Because you know, when we’re playing, we have so much time and energy dedicated towards the sport and towards every single week in the game…  Now we have so much more time to spend with our family, with our kids. And I think that he’s really going to enjoy that. He obviously looks like a great dad.”

After the Eagles’ former center announced his retirement earlier this March, Front Office Sports reported that Kelce met with ESPN and FOX executives in Las Vegas during the Super Bowl week, hinting at potential ventures in the broadcasting realm. His cameo appearance on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football broadcast and reports of interest from CBS and NBC underscore his marketability in the media landscape.

With diverse options on Kelce’s table, Watts said, “Just don’t expect him to remain out of the limelight for too long. He is a fan favorite for a reason… And I think there’s plenty of people wanting to see more of him out there.”

In 2011, when Watt came out of Wisconsin, the Houston Texans chose him as the 11th overall pick in the NFL Draft as he was one of the premier prospects on the defensive line. Kelce was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 6th round. Back then, the young Watt had a complaint about playing against Kelce.

J.J. Watt was frustrated because Jason Kelce was so good

In an interview earlier, the five-time Pro Bowler revealed why Kelce was a pain to go against when he was on the schedule. Watt said Kelce would call out the blitzes as they were lining up or “… He’ll switch the protection to my side even though I know it’s not supposed to go to my side. He’s going to make it go. It’s very frustrating to play against him because he is so good… He can also do so many things athletically. He can pull around the edge… He can do a bunch of different things…” Though they were on opposite sides, they had one thing in common. They could make a lasting impact on the team. Watt added, “I just think the way he handles himself – every single person that comes out of that organization talks about the teammate he is, who he is as a person.” On the other hand, Watt made an impact not just on the field, but he was also considered a “leader off the field” by his former teammates.