Jason Kelce is convinced LeBron James is among the few NBA players who could have a successful career in the NFL.

The retired Philadelphia Eagles player jumped on social media after ESPN analyst Ryan Clark claimed the mental fortitude required to play football far outweighed what’s needed on the basketball court.

‘There are NBA players athletic enough to play ‘Professional football’, but there ain’t 30… & there isn’t 5 tough enough,’ Clark wrote on X over the weekend.

‘The football mentality is built like a callus,’ he added.

Kelce agreed with the former Giants safety, but said he would sign James in a heartbeat if he was the general manager of a football team.

Jason Kelce thinks LeBron James has what it takes to succeed in the NFL

+5
View gallery

‘He’d be the greatest redzone threat in the NFL,’ the retired center said of the Lakers star

‘I love this argument and passion from Ryan, and as a football player my mind is screaming hell yea!!!’ he began.

‘But, if I was an NFL GM, and it was an option, I’d sign Lebron today and within one offseason he’d be the greatest redzone threat in the NFL,’ Kelce said of the NBA all-star.

The future Hall of Fame center was a student at Cleveland Heights High School when James made his NBA debut with the Cavaliers in 2003.

Prior to that, James was an all-state wide receiver during his days at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, before giving up football to focus on basketball.

+5
View gallery

James was a high school football star before giving up the sport to focus on basketball

+5
View gallery

During the 2011 NBA lockout, he courted offers from the Cowboys and the Seahawks

+5
View gallery

‘It definitely got my blood flowing again … thinking about the game of football,’ James said

In 2022, the Lakers star admitted he still has ‘an itch’ to play in the NFL.

‘If I was in the red zone, especially in the red zone. One-on-one… me out there with one of those small lil’ cornerbacks. Just throw it up, just throw it up,’ he said during an episode of The Shop on TNF.

The closest James came to the league was during the 2011 NBA lockout.

Both the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks offered him a contract during the 161-day basketball sabbatical.

‘Jerry Jones offered me a contract and so did Pete Carroll in Seattle during our lockout time,’ he later revealed.

‘It definitely got my blood flowing again, my mind racing again thinking about the game of football, being out there on Sundays,’ he continued.

‘We was able to get a deal done in the NBA and I was back on the court in no time. But I definitely thought about it.’