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Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce said his "operation" to return the luchador mask he wore at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII afterparty to the teenager that lent it to him is "underway."
Jason, 36, the brother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, reposted the NBC Dallas-Fort Worth article in which 8th grader Elijah Smith revealed that he was the owner of the mask the All-Pro wore in several videos shared online.
"Operation 'Get Elijah His Mask Back' is underway! I appreciate everyone bringing this to my attention, and look forward to uniting Elijah with his mask once again," Kelce wrote on his X account Friday (February 16). "Your mask indeed brings great fortune, I owe you big time, sorry it was commandeered."
Smith said he and his friend attempted to relocate Jason, but were unsuccessful as the Super Bowl afterparty was too crowded to get in contact with him. The teen's parents, Thad and Sarah Smith, said they are hoping to get the mask back as they believe its a good luck charm for the Chiefs, who have now won three Super Bowls in five years.
"The only thing is, Jason if you're listening, we just need the mask back before the season starts. Because it's a lucky mask, and so the Chiefs need the luck. I'm sorry we're not Eagles fans," Thad said.
"Last year when I wore it in Arizona, I feel like every single time I put it on we would score a touchdown," Elijah added.
Jason had previously addressed the viral videos on his and Travis' iHeartRadio Podcast Awards nominated 'New Heights' show this week.
"There's something about finding that luchador mask that really just transformed the night.It really did. It was insane," he said, apologizing for taking it, although not knowing who it belonged to at the time.
The elder Kelce attended all of his brother's playoff games after the Eagles were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round and previously went viral for his shirtless celebration and interaction with Buffalo Bills fans during the Chiefs' AFC Divisional Round win last month.
Earlier this month, Kelce said he's "gonna try not to" when a fan begged him not to retire during the Pro Bowl. A TikTok showed the All-Pro center signing footballs and revealing that he may be working toward a potential return for his 14th season.
"Please don't retire, for the love of football please don't," the fan said.
"I'm gonna try not to," Kelce responds as he continues to sign footballs.
Travis Kelce also said his brother's retirement decision was "still up in the air" when asked about it by 11-year-old reporter Jeremiah Fennell during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium on February 5.
“I’ll tell you what, I think it’s still up in the air whether or not he’s going to continue to play football,” Travis said.
Travis also told reporters "I think so" when asked if he thought Jason would play in the Eagles' Week 1 game in Brazil during the 2024 season.
"I don't know, I'm not a betting man but I think he's got some football left in him," Travis said.
Last month, Jason addressed reports that he plans to retire during an episode of 'New Heights' clarifying that he did address his teammates after the Eagles' Wild Card Round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but hadn't yet made an official decision on his future.
“I didn’t announce what I was doing on purpose, despite, I guess, what’s been leaked to the media,” he said “… I just don’t think you’re in a position after a game like that to really make that decision, I just don’t, there’s too much emotion in the moment, there’s too much going down in the moment to really fully grasp that decision.”
“When it’s time to officially announce what’s happening in the future, it’ll be done in a way that’s definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me and what has led to the career I’ve had, and I don’t think it would be respectful or even accurate to be able to do that right after a game like that,” he added. “Frustrated, I guess, at everything that’s happening, but in the future there will be something said, I guess, but I did address the team and pretty much said the same thing I just said to you, which is I got belief in every single one of you guys, cherish the moments you have in this league, I think it’s kind of the way it went down.”
Kelce spent his entire career with the Eagles and is one of the most celebrated players in franchise history. The former University of Cincinnati standout was a member of Philadelphia's Super Bowl LI team and is a six-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection, having started in all 193 games he's played.