Jason Kelce's new game day meal analyzed by NFL dietitian: Does it rule out NFL return?

Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce is preparing for a football season without football. At 36 years old, this fall will mark his first since childhood that Kelce is not a football player. 

Instead, he'll continue his podcasting career, take on an on-air role at ESPN's "Monday Night Football" and spend a considerable amount of time at Buffalo Wild Wings on game days. In a recent partnership with the fast-food chain, Kelce has curated his own personal menu, "Kelce's Picks." 

Kelce highlighted two particular menu items he calls his favorites for game days this year — the triple bacon cheeseburger and 10 traditional wings with Buffalo Bacon sauce. 

That combination is not a meal plan for someone hoping to play in the NFL at age 36, according to former Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers dietitian Leslie Bonci. 

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"I would never advise this type of meal before games. Not enough carbs, too much fat, so could cause digestive distress. Even post-game, not the best for recovery," Bonci told Fox News Digital. 

"One meal like this weekly is not going to have any significant impact on someone who is active, although the volume might not feel comfortable. This is a heavy/calorically dense meal that is also very high in sodium. So, this could result in increased thirst."

According to Buffalo Wild Wings' nutrition guide, the two items combine for 2,370 calories, 211 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of trans fat, 590 milligrams of cholesterol, 4,670 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbs, 9 grams of sugar and 172 grams of protein.

Bonci, who has been a part of four Super Bowl-winning teams with the Chiefs and Steelers, believes this collection of food could hamper an older offensive lineman's ability to play.

"Granted, my O-line players tend to not be tiny, but they still need to move speedily during the game, and that means muscles need to be fueled not fooled," Bonci said. 

However, Bonci didn't rule out that Kelce could make a return to the NFL if he took the right dietary steps. 

"He is a trained athlete and, should he decide to play again, he knows what to do to get himself ready to play. It is patterns, not individual meals, that are the deal maker/breaker," she said. 

Kelce said he would only consider a return to the NFL if there was treatment for his arthritis. 

"My days of playing are just done, and I do not foresee any scenario taking place other than maybe medicine inventing a way to get rid of arthritis that I would ever entertain coming back at all anymore," he recently told The Associated Press.

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Kelce suggested in a March episode of his podcast that he regretted retiring after the end of last season after the Eagles signed Saquon Barkley in free agency. 

"I could not be more bullish. … This is what I'm regretting," Kelce said. "I knew when I retired I was going to miss just an outstanding season for the Philadelphia Eagles. And it sucks. It really does. I want to be a part of it so bad."

However, Kelce has insisted he will stay retired. 

Despite the decadence of "Kelce's Picks," the former Pro Bowler has said his weight has gone down since he retired, following the pattern of many former offensive linemen after they retire. 

During a June 26 interview with GQ, the former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman said he was "almost 20 pounds down" and was aiming to lose another 20. Kelce said he weighed 295 pounds during his career. 

"It's hard to imagine another nearly 20 pounds coming off, being honest with you," Kelce said. "But my back already feels better. My knees already feel better."

Should Kelce keep the weight off, it could create even more of a barrier to an already unlikely NFL return. The offensive line position is so dependent on players keeping a consistent competitively heavy weight, but with the added maintenance of muscle density, agility and speed at those larger frames. That's why so many of the former players cut down on their high-calorie diets and slim down after retiring.

Other former offensive linemen who have quickly lost weight after retirement include Russell Okung, who has said he lost over 100 pounds on a "water fast" in an X post in June 2023.  

"Many retired players have noted that in their playing days they needed to eat extra calories to keep a higher weight. Once retired, that is a non-issue for players who are trying to get to a more normal size," Bonci said.

Bonci, who has also worked with Jason's brother Travis with the Chiefs from 2015 to January 2024, said her best advice to offensive linemen like Kelce after retirement is to focus on eating more produce and avoid sports drinks and alcohol. 

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