Jason Kelce is learning the hard way that life in the booth comes with its own brand of punishment.
The retired guard, who stepped away from the NFL after the 2023 season, has already faced plenty of pushback from fans since moving into broadcasting. ESPN has drawn criticism for giving him too much airtime, and that frustration has only grown. Kelce has also been working with the NFL Network on the international games this season, but that role hasn’t exactly won over the crowd either.
On Sunday, Kelce was in the booth with Dave Pasch and Kurt Warner for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Paris, and the criticism came back fast. During the broadcast, he referred to Tyler Warren instead of Jaylen Warren, the Steelers running back, and the mistake lit up social media.
“I feel pretty vindicated in my criticism of Jason Kelce’s commentary during the Jags game because the issues I had then are just as apparent now,” Boston sports commentator Kendra Middleton wrote.
“It doesn’t seem like the preparation is there tbh,” someone replied.
“How many times is Jason Kelce going to call Jaylen Warren Tyler Warren,” one asked.
“Clearly hates the #steelers and wow it showed. If Travis wasn’t married to Taylor, i believe his time would be up,” another said.
That wasn’t the only slip in the booth, either. A clip showed Warner making the same mistake.
Maybe the jet lag played a part in Paris. But when the backlash landed, Kelce was the one taking the heat.
He is still working to sharpen his broadcast game, but the message from fans was loud: they want more, and they want it now.
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