Why Jason Kelce Apologized on Air During ESPN Eagles Game Broadcast
Why Jason Kelce Apologized Live on Air During ESPN Broadcast
Jason Kelce is owning up to an on-air fumble.
The retired Philadelphia Eagles center apologized live on-air during ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage Sept. 28 after he took his beloved former team’s face-off against the Chicago Bears a tad too personal.
“I feel pretty good going into the half,” Jason told fellow analysts Pat McAfee and Scott Van Pelt during the broadcast. “We played really well.”
“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,” he continued. “Them getting the ball coming out of the half, I have a feeling they got a lot of momentum.”
Though Jason—dad to daughters Wyatt, 6, Elliotte, 5, Bennett, 3, and Finnley, 18 months, with wife Kylie Kelce—had a13-year run on the Philadelphia team before retiring in 2024, it’s clear you can take the man out of Philly but never Philly out of the man.
After all, McAfee called out the New Heights podcast host on his association with the team, chiming in, “A lot of ‘we’ talk out of Jason for Philly.”
Realizing his misstep. The 38-year-old immediately apologized, replying, "Sorry, sorry. I forget. Sorry, Bears fans.”
And while it’ll always be fly Eagles fly for Jason, he’s no stranger to giving his beloved team some tough brotherly love.
Indeed, after the team lost against the San Francisco 49ers Jan. 11, which booted them from the NFL playoffs, Jason didn’t hold back on what he thought the players could have done differently.
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
“I know it wasn’t the best performance this year offensively,” he said on the Jan. 12 broadcast of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. “They had the No. 1, highest-paid offense in the league and were mediocre across the board. That’s unacceptable.”
He added, “They had their chances to win that game yesterday, and the players didn’t make the plays! Alright? That’s all I’m going to leave it at.”
And grouping himself in with the Eagles post-retirement wouldn’t be the only sticky situation he’s had to address when it comes to the sport he loves.
Indeed, he responded to backlash following the 2025 Super Bowl after fans accused him of cheering on his former team, who played against his brother Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs during the match.
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
“It sucks, I knew it was going to be weird going into it. It progressively got weirder as the week went on,” Jason said on the New Heights podcast with Travis Feb. 12. “On one hand, you played your entire life with an organization and team. A lot of people, in that building, coaches, friends, teammates that you’ve gone through adversity with. And it really, makes you very, very close.”
“And then on the other hand you have your brother,” he continued. “I’ve always supported you. I’ve always wanted you to win, and I wanted you to win this game. I thought I made that clear.”
And while the Eagles defeated the Chiefs 40-22, he made it clear that the team he’ll always shout the loudest for is family.
“That does not take precedence over rooting for you, that’s why this game sucked,” Jason said through tears. “It was very, very hard to watch. I tried to correlate that I was rooting for both sides the whole time. And that I was going to happy and sad regardless no matter who won.”
Keep reading for a closer look into Jason’s life post-retirement…
Baby on Board
In October 2019, Jason Kelce and Kylie Kelce welcomed their first baby together, a daughter named Wyatt Elizabeth Kelce.
Instagram/@kykelce
Family of Four
Their second daughter Elliotte Ray Kelce joined the family two years later.
Instagram/@kykelce
Party of Five
One year after Elliotte's arrival, Kylie shared that "another Kelce lady" would be added to the bunch with an adorable set of photos.
Kylie Kelce/Instagram
Happy Halloween
On Halloween 2022, Jason and a then-pregnant Kylie dressed up as Piglet and Kanga, respectively. Meanwhile, their girls were Tigger and Winne the Pooh.
Instagram/@kykelce
Meet Bennett
In February 2023, the couple welcomed their third child, with her arrival coming nearly two weeks after Jason faced off against brother Travis Kelce at the 2023 Super Bowl.
Instagram/@jason.kelce
Golden Girls
Jason shared a glimpse at his oldest daughters holding a huge prize in May 2023, writing on Instagram, "Never in a million years did I think I’d hold the Larry O’Brien trophy, let alone that it would be in my house!!"
"Unbelievable honor to see it in person," he continued. "The size is incredible, looks so small when NBA players are holding it, but it’s actually massive!! The girls were very interested in it."
Instagram/@kykelce
Perfect Teammates
The family of five hit the field in August 2023, with Kylie joking in an Instagram post, "Here for the Rita’s and obstacle courses with dad after practice."
Instagram/Kylie Kelce
Fly, Eagles Fly
Jason and Kylie rang in Wyatt's fourth birthday in October 2023 on the Philadelphia Eagles' home turf. As Kylie noted on Instagram, "We were celebrating a 4th birthday when the Birds went 4-0."
Instagram / Kylie Kelce
Lucky Charms
Kylie shared this pic of Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett on Instagram in June 2024, writing, "Parents know… 2 out of 3 isn’t bad!"
Jason's mom Donna Kelce commented, "The cutest beautiful bunch of 'lucky charms' under that rainbow!!!!"
Baby No. 4
Jason and Kylie welcomed their fourth baby girl Finnley "Finn" Anne Kelce on March 30, 2025.
Mom and Me
Kylie craddled her Finn in her arms after the baby's March 2025 arrival.
Flower Power
Little Finn rocked a floral onesie shortly after she was born in the hospital.
Instagram/Kylie Kelce
Girl Dad
The Philadelphia Eagles alum held newborn Finnley close in an Instagram photo shared in April 2025.
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