Remember Jason Kelce stomping down Broad Street, hollering to the crowd after the Eagles hoisted the Lombardi in 2017? Back then, he was every bit the 300‑pound bulldozer Philly loved — stuffing cheesesteaks into a frame built for trench warfare, yet somehow nimble enough to race linebackers to the sideline.

Thirteen seasons in the trenches will wear on anybody. The morning after he officially retired, Kelce stepped on the scale and realized the old lineman menu needed a reset. Out went the five‑egg breakfasts and midnight cheesesteaks.

He’s traded double‑team blocks for double‑checking calories, chipping away pounds the same way he once chipped away doubters at Cincinnati — one stubborn step at a time. 

The Body Built for the Trenches

Kelce wasn’t just big — he was the rare big guy who moved like a tight end. A 6‑foot‑3, almost‑300‑pound center exploding off the snap, clearing a path on a screen, and still being the first blocker to greet a safety 20 yards downfield.

That mix of brute force and ballet footwork turned him into the league’s measuring stick at center. We’re talking six First‑Team All‑Pro selections, seven Pro Bowls, and an iron‑man run of 193 straight starts without tapping out.

Retirement — and a Scale Staring Back

When Kelce made his tear‑filled goodbye in March of 2024, he joked that one of his first retirement goals was to stop inhaling 5,000 calories before lunchtime.

That’s when he set a pretty straightforward goal: get down to 250 pounds. So he went old school. Started logging meals with MyFitnessPal, made sure he was getting enough protein to hold onto some of that muscle he built over 13 seasons, and tried to stay active — whether that was walking the dog, chasing the kids, or just moving around more.

The “Stupid” Competition That Made Sense

Still, life after football can get weird. The structure's gone, practices disappear, and all that chirping in the locker room turns into conversations about nap schedules and Paw Patrol. So when Beau Allen, Kelce’s former teammate, texted him in March and had a challenge in mind:

Beau Allen reached out and said, ‘Do you wanna do a competition on who can lose the most body fat percentage but still gain muscle?’

He called it “the stupidest idea ever” on the New Heights podcast — but he was all in. The two entered a friendly three-month competition to see who could lose the highest percentage of body fat without losing muscle.

The loser would have to wear a bright red Speedo at the Eagles Autism Foundation event. Naturally, it had to be official, so they both got full DEXA scans.

Kelce’s numbers came back at 21 percent body fat, with 207 pounds of lean mass and 58.7 pounds of fat — stats he admitted were “kind of embarrassing,” but also motivating. He circled July on the calendar, and while he played it cool on the pod, you could hear it in his voice — he still wants to win at everything he does.

Dude, this is what you do. When you retire, you have to do stupid competitions like this to keep your sanity.

The Scale Hits 270—but Father Time Hits Back

On the May 14th episode of New Heights, Kelce shared that he was down to about 270 pounds — roughly 30 pounds lighter than his playing days. It’s a number he’s proud of, even if the process hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing.

Travis joked that at that weight, Jason might be able to line up at tight end and make a comeback. Jason quickly shut that down. He said his “ankles and knees and back won’t let” him, and added that he keeps straining muscles just trying to lift weights these days. “Feels like the body retired the second my brain did,” he admitted.

He also mentioned that even golf had been tough on his body. A casual round the week before left his ankle flaring up so badly that he couldn’t squat for a few days. For a guy who used to play through injuries that would sideline most of us for weeks, even small setbacks hit different now.

The Family Factor

If you ask Kelce why the bathroom scale suddenly matters, he’ll point to Kylie and their three daughters faster than he’ll point to his Super Bowl ring. These days, the grind looks a lot different — less about snapping the ball and more about picking up toys without throwing out his back. 

He’s talked openly about how carrying around nearly 300 pounds in retirement just wasn’t sustainable — not when you’re trying to be present for three little ones who don’t care that you used to be an All-Pro.

It’s not about trying to get ripped or chasing some magazine look. For Kelce, dropping weight is about getting more moments with his kids — whether that’s crawling on the living room floor or hopping into a bounce house without limping out. That’s the stuff that matters now.

The Long Game: 250 — or Something Close

Kelce still circles 250–260 lbs as the sweet spot:

I don't want to get too small... So for me, I feel like for some reason, 250 to 260 feels like I'll be still big and be happy with the way I look without having a six-pack. But I’ll still be able to have that stature a little bit.

It’s still a grind. He’s honest about that. But for Kelce, every pound dropped has meant something more than just a number on the scale—it’s another small step toward enjoying this next chapter of life with a little less pain and a lot more presence.

At the end of the day, Kelce’s journey isn’t about making headlines — it’s about making life a little easier, a little healthier, and a lot more fun. Whether he ends up at 230 or never quite hits 250, the mindset shift is already a win. And knowing Kelce, he’s going to keep finding ways to compete, laugh, and share the ride with all of us.