Mel Kiper Jr. Drops Surprising Clue About His Retirement Plans – What He Said Will Shock Fans

Mel Kiper Jr. isn’t just a name flung around every April like some pundit paying lip service to the NFL Draft — he’s been the draft’s unofficial heartbeat for over four decades. Imagine starting out dissecting prospects in high school, then parlaying that obsession into a $400 ESPN gig back in 1984. Yeah, that’s humble beginnings for a man who would become the face of draft season, the guy whose player rankings spark both admiration and side-eyes. But here’s the kicker: after all these years, the critiques, the missed calls on first-rounders, you might expect Kiper to hang up the headset. Nope. Fresh off a chat with Skip Bayless, it’s clear his love for draft day buzz hasn’t dimmed one bit — and retirement? It’s not even on his radar. What’s the secret sauce that keeps Mel fired up after all this time? Maybe it’s that draft-day magic, or just plain stubbornness, but he’s not done yet — and frankly, I’m glad for it.

Mel Kiper Jr. has been analyzing potential NFL draft picks for over 40 years.

He began analyzing NFL prospects while in high school and became so good with his player profiles that ESPN hired him to talk shop in 1984.

His contract with the worldwide sports leader at the time was a whopping $400.

In the four decades since, Kiper has become the face of the NFL Draft while also receiving his fair share of criticism for his low accuracy in predicting first-round players to specific teams.

During a recent interview with sports talk legend Skip Bayless, it doesn’t sound like Kiper will retire from his job anytime soon.

When the host asked him how much longer he wanted to do draft analysis, Kiper responded enthusiastically.

“They always say that when you start thinking about it [retiring] you really are…I don’t really think about that aspect of it.”

Does Mel Kiper ever want to retire? pic.twitter.com/vILOkhq79B

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 27, 2025

Kiper continued by answering his own question that he loves doing anything and everything related to the NFL Draft.

The 64-year-old (Kiper turns 65 in July) wants to do his thing for the foreseeable future.

Near the end of the interview, Kiper revealed that he is in the first year of a three-year contract with ESPN.

The post Mel Kiper Jr. Reveals If He Will Ever Retire appeared first on The Cold Wire.