The Philadelphia Eagles center jumped through a firey table just one day after announcing his retirement from the NFL.
Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday afternoon. Although he played all of his 13 seasons as center for the Philadelphia Eagles, it was a promise to Bills Mafia that was on the top of his To-Do list as he walked away from the podium.
Kelce visited Orchard Park, NY in January as the Buffalo Bills hosted the Kansas City Chiefs for a divisional round playoff game. Although there to cheer on his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and the visiting team, he embraced the Bills Mafia experience fully.
After downing what he said were “who knows how many drinks” at the Big Tree Inn and then making rounds through the tailgaters where he was seen downing bowling ball shots, Kelce was seen shirtless in the stands at Highmark Stadium. Despite his immersion into the Bills Mafia scene, he later told his brother on the duo’s New Heights podcast that he had one regret: He didn’t get the opportunity to jump through a table.
Jason Kelce: Man of the People pic.twitter.com/QANv97Rb9P
— New Heights (@newheightshow) January 21, 2024
So, Kelce used his podcast to create the opportunity himself. During a “Best Team Name” poll in February, the now-retired Eagles’ center promised to jump through a table if the Bills were to beat out the Chiefs in the fan vote.
If the Bills win this, I swear on Buffalo Bill’s legendary reputation I will jump through a flaming table #BillsMafia https://t.co/rk8k9O8sdy
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) February 4, 2024
He even went so far as to post a screenshot of his Amazon cart with the necessary items for getting the job done.
Please everyone, vote responsibly! https://t.co/rk8k9O8sdy pic.twitter.com/sClht7KpiB
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) February 4, 2024
While the Bills didn’t win the entire competition, they did beat the Chiefs to make it into the final four, and now, a month later, Kelce is making good on his promise. A day after his retirement announcement, a video was posted to the New Heights X account that shows Travis Kelce laughing while his brother jumps off of a truck and through a table.
Jason’s retirement is off to a hot start … literally
— New Heights (@newheightshow) March 5, 2024
NEW EPISODE. TOMORROW. pic.twitter.com/6lfsLVV996
Is Kelce’s Bills Mafia experience complete now? It’s hard to say. The 36-year-old retiree was wearing a flame-retardant suit and the truck he jumped off of – a fire truck. Safety first? Maybe, but that’s not the Bills Mafia way — as the fan base is known for ridiculous antics.
But the fans didn’t care. Bills Mafia has completely embraced the elder Kelce brother using the comment section of the flaming-table-jumping video to officially welcome him to the family. Maybe part of that is because he told his brother that his Buffalo tailgating experience was superior to that of the Kansas City one.
“It was incredible,” Kelce told his brother on an episode of their shared podcast. “I mean, honestly, one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had from start to finish... Buffalo, Bills Mafia, it’s incredible. We haven’t been to a lot of tailgates. The only other tailgate I’ve been to is Arrowhead. Great tailgate, but I mean, doggone man, it was an electric atmosphere with the Bills Mafia.”
And, let’s be honest, anyone who chooses Buffalo over Kansas City – no matter what the topic – is an automatic fan-favorite.
So, Jason Kelce, happy retirement... and welcome to the Mafia!