Eagles legend Jason Kelce might have retired from the NFL, but he hasn’t retired from the Philadelphia sports scene.
Kelce and his wife Kylie attended the Phillies-Braves game Saturday, and the Super Bowl-winning center threw the first pitch alongside former long-time Eagles teammate Fletcher Cox.
Kelce pitched to Bryce Harper, while Cox pitched to Kyle Schwarber.
After the ceremonial pitches, Harper asked Kelce to sign his cleats.
Kelce and Cox, teammates on the Eagles since 2012, both retired this offseason after spending their whole careers in Philadelphia.
They both spent six years as team captains and will forever be fan favorites to a football-crazed fandom. Both started in and won Super Bowl LII with the Eagles over the New England Patriots and started in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LVII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
On Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast earlier this month, the elder brother said so far, he doesn’t feel different after retiring and that he still visits the Eagles’ facility.
“I’m a creature of habit … I feel no different,” he said. “I’m assuming once, you know, organized team activities startup, and especially once training camp and the season starts rolling around, it’ll really start to hit a little bit more. But one week in, yeah, not much different to be honest with you.”
The Eagles legends were treated to a high-scoring game of baseball, but one that did not go the Phillies’ way.
The Braves struck early in the first inning on an Ozzie Albies two-run home run, but the Phillies responded in the bottom of the first with a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single from Bryson Stott.
Philadelphia, though, was not able to answer back in the second inning. The Braves retook the lead on a Travis d’Arnaud two-run double and added on with a Jarred Kelenic RBI single.
After coming in to relieve Max Fried, Jesse Chavez quieted the Phillies’ bats, pitching three innings in relief and allowing only two hits.
Meanwhile, Atlanta’s bats didn’t cool off, and they added runs in the third, sixth, and ninth innings.
Philadelphia only managed one more run on the day, losing to the Braves 12-4. Atlanta can finish off the opening series sweep Sunday.
