Jason Kelce has barely had time to settle into his second act before old habits start leaking through.
Since retiring in 2024, Kelce has moved quickly from beloved Eagles center to one of football’s most recognizable media voices. He’s on his brother’s popular podcast, he’s part of ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown,” and he’s also working as an in-game analyst for NFL Network. But when the discussion turns to Philadelphia, the language still sounds awfully familiar.
That showed up during the halftime break of the Eagles’ “Monday Night Football” game against the Bears in Week 3. Kelce was breaking down Philadelphia’s offense when he slipped into the kind of phrasing that makes it sound like he’s still in the huddle.
“We played really well,” Kelce said. “Offensively, we had opportunities, we shot ourselves in the foot, but we’ve moved the ball, we ran the ball well, Jalen Hurts is throwing the ball well. Them getting the ball coming out of the half, I have a feeling they got a lot of momentum.”
Pat McAfee immediately noticed the tell and joked about it.
“Lot of ‘we’ talk out of Jason for Philly,” McAfee said.
Kelce even apologized to Bears fans watching after the slip.
The former center has earned plenty of leeway after spending his entire NFL career with the Eagles and becoming one of the franchise’s most popular figures. Still, national broadcasters are expected to keep some distance, and Kelce has been adjusting to that part of the job.
He’s already apologized before for talking about the Eagles as if he were still one of them, and with Kelce set to be in the booth for Eagles vs. Jaguars in London on Sunday, there’s a good chance another “we” or two sneaks out again.
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Jaguars Fans Had One Big Problem With Jason Kelce In London
Jason Kelces turn in the broadcast booth for the Eagles-Jaguars game in London came with the usual curiosity that follows a recently retired player calling a game involving his old team. For Jaguars fans, the bigger question was whether he could stay evenhanded while analyzing a Philadelphia matchup overseas, especially after some viewers and media critics raised concerns about how he handled his previous references to the Eagles.
Kelce did make room to highlight Jacksonvilles side, including a nod to emergency long snapper DaVon Hamilton for handling an unusual role during the game. He also acknowledged on his podcast how hard it can be to sound neutral when the former team is the one on the field, while saying he would try to be fair to the Jaguars. [Read more 🡒]
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Nick Sirianni later owned the call, taking full responsibility and apologizing to his team for a move he said cost them the game. From Jacksonvilles side, it was the kind of break that can decide a tight matchup, especially when field position suddenly flips and a single possession becomes the difference between a win and a letdown. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Fans Had One Big Problem With Jason Kelce In London
Jason Kelces first major stop in the broadcast booth at the Eagles-Jaguars game in London drew plenty of attention, and not all of it was complimentary. A lot of the reaction centered on whether the former Eagles center was keeping enough distance from the team he spent his entire playing career with, even as he settled into his new role on the call.
For Jaguars fans, one of the more notable moments came when Kelce praised emergency long snapper DaVon Hamilton during the telecast, a rare spotlight for a player who ended up in an unusual spot for Jacksonville. Kelce has already acknowledged how hard it is to stay neutral when the game involves his former team, and he said he would try to be fair moving forward, which leaves the broader question of how he balances those loyalties as his broadcast career develops. [Read more 🡒]