QB Colt McCoy spins a football during training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 31, 2023.

QB Colt McCoy retires, joins NBC’s Big Ten coverage

Journeyman quarterback Colt McCoy is retiring and moving into the broadcast booth, joining NBC Sports for Big Ten coverage this season.

McCoy will make his debut as an analyst when Colorado plays at Nebraska on Sept. 7.

“College Football has always held a special place in my heart. With the expansion of the Big Ten and new era of College Football, it is the perfect time to join NBC Sports,” he said in a news release Monday. “I can’t wait to share in the passion, excitement, and competitive spirit every week!”

McCoy, 37, appeared in 56 NFL games (36 starts) over parts of 12 seasons with five franchises. He passed for 7,975 yards with 34 touchdowns and 32 interceptions while compiling an 11-25 record with the Cleveland Browns (2010-12), San Francisco 49ers (2013), Washington (2014-15, 2017-19), the New York Giants (2020) and Arizona Cardinals (2021-22).

McCoy was released by the Cardinals during the 2023 preseason.

“Thank you football,” McCoy posted Monday on X. “Excited for the next chapter.”

He was a third-round selection by Cleveland in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Texas, where he was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist. He left the Longhorns as the winningest quarterback in NCAA Division I history with 45 victories from 2006-09.

“In a standout career at Texas, Colt McCoy starred in many of college football’s biggest games and fiercest rivalries,” NBC Sports executive producer and president Sam Flood said. “What a way to kick it off with Colorado-Nebraska!”

McCoy, who will also appear on the “Big Ten College Countdown” studio show, will be working with play-by-play announcer Paul Burmeister and sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen.

–Field Level Media

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce (62) thanks the fans as he leaves the field after a 2024 NFC wild card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Eagles C Jason Kelce tells teammates he’s retiring

Philadelphia Eagles star center Jason Kelce told his teammates that he is retiring after 13 NFL seasons, ESPN reported Tuesday morning.

The news comes on the heels of the Eagles’ unceremonious exit from the postseason, a 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC wild-card game on Monday night.

Kelce, 36 and a five-time All-Pro, declined to talk with reporters after the game, but Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson said Kelce has hinted to his teammates that this would be his last season, ESPN reported.

“I love him. He’s one of the best to ever play the game,” Johnson said. “The things he can do on the football field athletically — I don’t think we’ll see another one like him for a long time.”

“He’s special, and I love him,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said of Kelce. “He’s one of the most special guys I’ve been around.”

Kelce has spent his entire career with the Eagles, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was a member of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII championship team.

The seven-time Pro Bowl selection has started all 193 games in which he has played during the regular season and all 12 in the postseason.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeSean Jackson (15) makes a reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

WR DeSean Jackson clarifies post, says he’s not retiring

Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson clarified a post on social media that many interpreted as a retirement announcement.

Jackson, 36, initially caused a stir on Sunday morning with the following post on Instagram:

“Did it my way 15 years strong!! Neva anotha like it! #0ne0fone”

Two days later, Jackson took to social media in a bid to clear the air.

“They reaching my last post wasn’t a retirement post! I just had to get some stuff off my chest! Y’all will know when the Boi retire!” he wrote on Instagram.

Jackson, who is an unrestricted free agent, had nine catches for 153 yards in seven games (one start) last season with the Baltimore Ravens.

He has 641 receptions for 11,263 yards and 58 touchdowns in 183 games (159 starts) with the Philadelphia Eagles (2008-13, 2019-20), Washington franchise (2014-16), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017-18), Los Angeles Rams (2021), Las Vegas Raiders (2021) and Ravens (2022).

A second-round pick by the Eagles in 2008, Jackson led the NFL in yards per reception in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

–Field Level Media