After 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kelce retired in 2024 and quickly expanded his career beyond football. His estimated $60 million net worth in 2026 reflects NFL earnings, endorsements, media work and the booming success of his New Heights podcast. Jason Kelce’s rise from an overlooked college walk-on to one of the NFL’s most recognizable centers has turned into a lucrative second act.
The Eagles selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, 191st overall. His rookie contract was worth about $2.1 million over four years, including a $97,432 signing bonus. In 2014, Kelce agreed to a six-year extension worth $37.5 million. Later contracts added substantially to his career income, with his final NFL deal reportedly worth $14 million for the 2024 season.
Because i had no clue what hard work was yet, i’d have to earn everything, and that’s good,.
“I entered the University of Cincinnati as a walk-on,” Kelce said in his emotional 2024 retirement speech. “I think the Kelce brand, in general, is pretty high right now,” Kelce told Golfer’s Journal in November 2024. “Today, I must admit, I am officially overrated,” he said in his retirement speech.
“As a linebacker, I had no idea what to expect, but scenes from [the movie] Rudy would often race in my mind. It became apparent immediately that walk-ons would have to fight harder for their opportunities than the rest of the team. I had no stars, no investment from the team or the coaches. Knowing that I had to earn my respect every day made me committed like never before. His value grew rapidly. Retirement did not mean stepping away from the business side of sports. In fact, Kelce’s biggest financial opportunities have come after he left the NFL. “I don’t know that it should be this high. If anything, we’re the overdog now. We’re way overvalued, probably. But I think I still try to attack things with that same mentality of, you put the work in, you do your best and you just try to get better than the day before—all the mentality that I had before. “Vastly overrated. It took a lot of hard work and determination getting here. I have been the underdog my entire career and I mean this when I say it, I wish I still was.
Today, Jason Kelce’s income extends well beyond his NFL playing days, with podcasting, television and commercial partnerships giving his career a powerful post-football dimension.