Jason Kelce looking on.Jason Kelce (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
NFL fans expressed sorrow and heartbreak after Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Kelce gave a concerning announcement about his health.

Last year, the former All-Pro center said in an X/Twitter post that he “can virtually guarantee that I have CTE, all the research would suggest I have some degree of it.” Kelce spent his entire playing career (2011 to 2023) with the Philadelphia Eagles and was remarkably durable, suiting up for 193 games.

Research indicates that CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is likely caused by repeated hits to the head. It can only be diagnosed after death during an autopsy, and researchers have found CTE in more than 300 former NFL players.

The ML Football X/Twitter account reposted Kelce’s old quote about him likely having CTE earlier this week, leading to some heartbreaking responses from fans.

“Jason Kelce suffering from CTE is heartbreaking news,” a user said.

“Sad to hear. If so, so many Tush Pushes as a center certainly played a factor. Is it time to rethink player safety on that play?” asked another.

“Tough to hear but not surprising after years in the trenches,” a fan said.

“That’s so sad,” another commented.

“As a Giants fan. Feeling for him rn. Prayers up 🙏🏽,” a fan wrote.

“Given his position, that wouldn’t surprise me sadly,” said another.

The 37-year-old Kelce missed all but two games in his 2012 sophomore year and four games in 2014. But from 2015 onward, the future Hall of Fame inductee never missed another NFL contest.

Jason Kelce Has Found Plenty Of Success Following His Playing Career

Jason Kelce on setJason Kelce (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Last August, news broke that Jason and his younger brother, Travis Kelce, agreed to a lucrative deal with Amazon’s Wondery worth over $100 million for the rights to their “New Heights” podcast.

Kelce also signed a deal with ESPN to work on their “Monday Night Countdown” program. He’ll be back at it when ESPN airs the Minnesota Vikings-Chicago Bears Week 1 game at Soldier Field on Sept. 8.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
+2
View gallery

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence
+2
View gallery

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’