On the opening Sunday of the 2024 NFL season, neither Travis Kelce nor Jason Kelce was anywhere near a football field.
The irony was not lost on the two brothers as they kicked off the 100th episode of their ‘New Heights’ podcast on Wednesday. However, both were still very connected to the games.
Travis, after his Kansas City Chiefs played in the league’s Thursday night opener, was with pop star Taylor Swift at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, watching the men’s singles final. But he admitted he was also watching live football on his phone.
‘It was prime time for any NFL fan,’ Travis said. ‘I’ve always been an NFL fan first.’
Jason, meanwhile, couldn’t help but offer a few barbs at his brother’s attire, which Travis described as ‘the old country club look – going with the cardigan, button-up and the hat to match.’
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And no, they did not mention Swift’s endorsement Tuesday night of Kamala Harris for president.
Jason Kelce makes ‘Monday Night Countdown’ debut
Jason, who retired this past offseason after 13 years as a center with the Philadelphia Eagles, caught Sunday’s slate of games in the privacy of a longtime friend’s basement, getting ready for his second career as a TV analyst.
Perhaps it was just a case of nerves that he forgot his dress shirt and had to buy one just before making his initial appearance on ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown.’
Travis called his brother’s debut ‘very entertaining’ before turning the fashion talk around and poking fun at Jason for the wardrobe malfunction.
Jason admitted being nervous beforehand, but conceded, ‘It was fun to actually get one under my belt. Now I kinda know what to expect going into this next week.’
Coincidentally, Jason Kelce and the crew will be back in Philadelphia on Monday night when the Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons.
‘It’s gonna be a wild environment,’ he quipped.
Jason Kelce on Eagles’ new-look ‘Tush Push’
The Eagles played their first game without Kelce on Friday night, a 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers in the first-ever NFL game played in Brazil.
‘I was tweeting to avoid the distraction of not being able to do anything. Probably over-tweeting to be honest with you,’ Kelce said.
The biggest unknown with converted guard Cam Jurgens taking over at center was how effective the Eagles’ signature ‘Tush Push’ play would be without Kelce leading the way.
Though quarterback Jalen Hurts did convert a short-yardage situation early in the game, he and Jurgens muffed an exchange at the goal line late in the game that cost Philly what looked like an easy touchdown.
Kelce chalked the miscue up as part of the learning process, especially for Jurgens.
‘It’s a really hard play to run when a lot of guys are running it for the first time,’ he explained. ‘You’re so far leaning forward and trying to get leverage, it’s a very awkward snap if you’re doing it right. I gotta think, especially with the slick field, there were factors there that led to that fumbled one.
‘I think that reality is, the more reps these guys get at it, the more it’s going to get back to that 90-plus percent success rate.’
Problems playing NFL games on soccer fields
One other interesting discussion point from the game in Brazil was the frequency of players losing their footing on what’s normally a soccer field.
Why was there so much slipping and sliding?
‘I don’t think it’s the grass, I think it’s the sod. It’s not rooted in there and it’s not tough,’ Travis opined. ‘It’s either you’ve gotta go turf or you’ve gotta make it strong enough for 300-pounders to be able to move, or like big strong running backs and linebackers to be able to put their foot in the ground without slipping.’
The field is similar to the ones at soccer stadiums that host NFL games in Europe, ones Jason said ‘are made for tiny European people; they’re not made for large American men.’
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