PHILADELPHIA — Jason Kelce stood on the sideline in tears as the final seconds ticked off in his likely final NFL game. Kelce embraced his longtime offensive line coach. He removed his helmet once the game ended – a Philadelphia Eagles loss that completed a harrowing season-ending collapse – and extended his hand to his wife and his father in the stands.

What Kelce knew then – what the gregarious center couldn’t bring himself to say when he declined to speak to the media in the aftermath of the defeat – was that his football career was over.

The 36-year-old Kelce has waivered on retirement over the last few seasons. Coach Nick Sirianni added to Kelce’s lore by shipping a keg of beer to the center’s home to entice him to return in 2022.

He has been the heart of the Eagles, a hero on the Philadelphia sports scene, a Super Bowl champion. But after 13 seasons, 156 straight starts and six All-Pro Team selections, Kelce has told teammates he intends to retire, three people informed of the decision told The Associated Press.

They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday out of respect for Kelce’s decision, which he has not yet made public.

“The goat!!!. Appreciate ya big time,” Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. wrote on social media.

Kelce could explain his decision as early as Wednesday, when the next episode of the “New Heights” podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce – boyfriend of pop star Taylor Swift – was expected to drop. The brothers played each other last season in the Super Bowl that was won by the Chiefs.

“I love him. Yeah, obviously we’re not there at that position yet, ready to talk about that, but he’s special and I love him,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said after a 32-9 loss to Tampa Bay. “He’s one of the most special guys I’ve been around. He’s always got a place here and always want him to play.”

The burly, bushy-haired and bearded Kelce has been a stalwart of the offensive line since he was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft out of Cincinnati.

STEELERS: Coach Mike Tomlin told his players in a team meeting on Tuesday he wants to return for his 18th season as Steelers coach in 2024 and not to believe the rumors that have been swirling about his future, sources have told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Tomlin is due a contract extension in the spring that would keep him with the team through at least the 2026 season. He is among the highest-paid coaches in the league at approximately $11 million per year.

Tomlin told his players one day after the Steelers lost their fifth consecutive playoff game since 2016 — a 31-17 defeat in Buffalo.

SAINTS: New Orleans has fired offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. along with senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell and receivers coach Kodi Burns.

The Saints ranked 14th overall in yards per game with 337.2, but the offense – led by 10-year NFL veteran quarterback Derek Carr – often stagnated in clutch situations during the first 12 games of the season. New Orleans (9-8) started 5-7 before winning four of its final five games, narrowly missing out on the postseason because of unfavorable tiebreakers with Tampa Bay and Green Bay.

New Orleans converted just 53.3% of red zone opportunities into touchdowns, which ranked 18th. For much of the season, however, the Saints were in the bottom third of the NFL in that category and lost seven games by fewer than 10 points.

Carmichael has been with the Saints since 2006, when he was hired by then-rookie coach Sean Payton as quarterbacks coach in what also was QB Drew Brees’ first season in New Orleans.

CHIEFS: More than a dozen people were hospitalized Saturday after the Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium plagued by record-breaking cold.

The Kansas City Fire Department received nearly 70 calls for service at the stadium, with about half related to signs of hypothermia as temperatures dropped to minus 6 with a wind chill of minus 27, said Michael Hopkins, a spokesman for the department.

Of those calls, 15 people were hospitalized, including seven for hypothermia and three for frostbite. The other five were hospitalized for injuries unrelated to the cold, Hopkins said.

Other callers who showed signs of hypothermia were brought to warmer areas, so they could find relief from the bitter cold.

Saturday’s game against the Miami Dolphins was the fourth coldest game in NFL history, and the coldest Chiefs game ever.

GIANTS: New York hired Joel Thomas as its new running backs coach and Aaron Wellman as its executive director of player performance.

SEAHAWKS: Two more names were revealed as the team’s possible next coach with requests submitted to interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

It had already been reported that Seattle has requested permission to talk with six other NFL assistants – Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.