Jason Kelce reveals Thanksgiving 2025 plans, says wife Kylie and mom Donna do most of the cooking, he just handles one thing

Retirement hasn’t slowed Jason Kelce down one bit — at least not when it comes to family life. As Thanksgiving draws near, the former Philadelphia Eagles center is swapping playbooks for recipes and family traditions.

The six-time Pro Bowler, in a chat with PEOPLE, said that he’s ready for another round of holiday chaos with wife Kylie and their growing crew.Kelce, 37, might be a force on the field, but when it comes to Thanksgiving prep, he’s happy to admit he’s not calling the plays in the kitchen. “For Thanksgiving, Kylie and her mom do the majority of the cooking. [My] mom comes over, she does her dinner rolls that she's made since we were kids, and then the past couple years, I've been frying a turkey,” he says.

Why Jason Kelce prefers fried turkey and the traditions he’s trying to start

Turns out, though, Jason Kelce isn’t exactly a fan of the holiday’s main event. As he explained it, turkey just doesn’t do much for him. “I don't like turkey that much. The only time I really have ever had like a turkey is when I've seen it fried, probably [due to the] the moisture content in it,” he said. “I've never grilled a turkey, I've had turkey smoked. I've had turkey out of the oven, and I've done a fried turkey — smoked isn't bad, especially if it's like a spatchcocked Turkey.

”He added, “I like the fried turkey for sure, that's one bird that does better that way.”Still, the New Heights co-host isn’t just thinking about what’s on the table. With three daughters — Wyatt, 6, Elliotte, 4, Bennett, 2 — and baby Finn, 6 months, Kelce is focused on building family moments that we would cherish. “One of the traditions we started is my mom has been passing new [Christmas] ornaments on. So like, going out, cutting down the Christmas tree and putting it up and putting the ornaments on the tree.

I'm trying to turn that into a tradition where we do that as close to Thanksgiving as possible,” he explained. “We haven't accomplished that yet. I would love to cut down the tree, have Thanksgiving, and then the next day, the tree is being put up and decorated. That's what I want to do. We haven't done it yet.”Last year Kelce and his family spent Thanksgiving in Nashville with his brother, Travis Kelce, and Travis’s now-fiancée, popstar Taylor Swift. A source at the time told PEOPLE, “Taylor and her family were excited to host the Kelces this year. Jason was there with his family and kids too. It was very festive and special.”More NFL coverage:“I wasn’t going to die”: FOX Sports Charissa Thompson shuts down wild rumors after Thursday Night Football on-air health scareStreaming giants circling Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce wedding for potential $70M rights — insiders say it would dwarf the Super Bowl