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ESPN’s Jason Kelce Made His Feelings Clear About Jacksonville

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 5:57 PM ET

Retired NFL center Jason Kelce endeared himself to the fans of Philadelphia across his 13 seasons with the Eagles thanks to the grittiness and leadership he brought to the field.

In his retirement, the Super Bowl LII champion has seen his popularity grow beyond the City of Brotherly Love as he expanded into the entertainment world. His roles as an analyst on ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown" and co-host of the "New Heights" podcast with his brother, Travis Kelce, have helped the elder Kelce brother reach a larger audience.

A less-polished version of Kelce resurfaced on Monday when an old quote about the Jacksonville Jaguars fan base went around social media before they hosted the Kansas City Chiefs on ESPN's "Monday Night Football."

Former Philadelphia Eagles star and ESPN commentator Jason Kelce at the 2025 AFC divisional round game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans.Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

"I really don't think (Philadelphia) is a hard place to play at all," Kelce said in 2021. "I think it'd be miserable to play in a place like Jacksonville where nobody cares.”

He was responding to the idea that Eagles fans can be tough on their players, which Kelce did not mind. He liked being a professional athlete in Philadelphia because he said the fans held players accountable in a respectful way as long as they gave an effort.

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Going to miss this guy #kelce #jasonkelce #nfl #eagles #philly #philadelphia #retirement
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The shot at Jacksonville was dated, but it was not a good look for the ESPN host who was in town to help broadcast the game at EverBank Stadium against his brother's team.

Rather than focusing on Jacksonville, ESPN leaned into Kelce's family connection with the Chiefs tight end on their production. For "Monday Night Countdown," Jason interviewed his brother Travis, alongside Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

He peppered the Kansas City trio with questions about their 0-2 start to the season and Travis' upcoming wedding to Taylor Swift.

Jason’s always gonna ask his brother the hard-hitting questions

Watch Jason’s extended conversation with Travis, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes TONIGHT on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown! 6-8PM ET before Chiefs-Jaguars on ESPN pic.twitter.com/VsduVr5fvV
— New Heights (@newheightshow) October 6, 2025

Kelce is in the second year of a three-year, $24 million contract with ESPN signed in 2024, per The Athletic's Andrew Marchand. He made more than $81 million during his NFL career.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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