Each and every Super Bowl creates a new opportunity for history to be made for the first time. For the Kelce family, Travis of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jason of the Philadelphia Eagles, will do just that. In fact, the pair of Kelce brothers will be the first set of brothers to play against each other in Super Bowl history.
Right after Kansas City won the AFC Championship Game, both players quickly discussed getting to face each other. Travis Kelce talked about it with media in his post-game press conference. “My mom can’t lose,” Travis said. “It’s going to be an amazing feeling playing against him.”
Jason Kelce took to Twitter, jokingly denounced his rooting interests surrounding Travis and the Chiefs. He tweeted, “officially done being a Chiefs fan this season!!”
Each player has won one Super Bowl. As a result, whichever team wins in Arizona will give one brother a leg up in Super Bowl wins over the other. For many reasons, the Kelce brothers will be at the forefront of the headlines entering the game and during the contest. What makes this sibling matchup so fascinating? Let’s kick it off.
Best Of The Best
As things currently stand, you could easily argue that both Kelce brothers are the top players at their respective positions. Travis has been incredibly smooth with his route running, separation and yards after catch ability as his career continues to grow. His production continues to leave many in awe, as Kelce climbs the NFL record books at tight end. Meanwhile, Jason is likely the most instinctive and smartest center in the league. His ability to call out protections and get his blocking teammates prepared, allows for the Eagles to stay on top of opponents. Jason also provides a rare mix of power, nastiness and athleticism for a player of his stature.
More importantly, neither Kelce brother is slowing down, despite entering their mid-30s. Travis has somehow looked even more crisp as a route runner in the latter stages of his career. To boot, you could argue that he is more smooth in space after the catch. Lastly, Jason provides other blockers a clinic, as far as his blocking technique goes. Kelce is swift in his hand placement and footwork, overall.
Humble Beginnings
The star power that the Kelce brothers have permeates extremely well inside their team’s cities, obviously. Each player is extremely beloved by teammates, coaches and opposing players alike. But before the Kelce brothers became star players, they each originated from humble beginnings.
Travis and Jason Kelce each host a podcast called New Heights. The title of the podcast is an homage to the brothers growing up in Cleveland, Ohio and attending Cleveland Heights High School. After playing high school football at Cleveland Heights, neither Kelce brother was a highly regarded player by colleges. Travis was a two-star recruit and received some offers from MAC schools, as well as Cincinnati, which he eventually attended. On the other hand, Jason also played college football at Cincinnati. However, he was a former walk-on at running back, before eventually transitioning to play offensive line.
The Kelce brothers were both drafted by Andy Reid. Reid and the Eagles selected Jason in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. And in his first year in Kansas City, Reid and the Chiefs selected Travis in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Kelce brothers, the start of their NFL careers was also challenging out of the gate. Travis eventually had to undergo surgery on his knee during his rookie year and basically was unable to put out any tape in the NFL that year. As for Jason, he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his second year after playing just two games.
Leading The Charge
As mentioned above, the Kelce brothers are probably the best players at their given position. There is a tremendous mix of leadership and dependability that Travis and Jason hold for the Chiefs and the Eagles. As a result, this pair of brothers will have to lead the charge just as strong as they have this season, both physically and mentally. Making a misstep is incredibly rare for either of the Kelce brothers. Yet, any mistake in the Super Bowl could make or break their team’s chances at emerging victorious.
For example, the Chiefs pass catchers go as Travis Kelce goes. His threat to score in the red zone is immense, especially during postseason football. His ability to come through in tight games or late in contests hold so much value for Kansas City and their entire pass catching group.
On the flip side, Jason Kelce is essentially the engine of Philadelphia’s dominant offensive line. His aforementioned ability to diagnose protections keeps the Eagles on schedule or ahead of schedule as an offense. Elsewhere, Jason’s athletic ability can help spring open the rushing attack. Philadelphia has eaten people alive on the ground, thanks to Kelce climbing to the second level or driving people laterally. Just like Travis with Kansas City, the Eagles will look for Jason to lead the charge in gaining momentum in Super Bowl LVII.
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