Travis Kelce and brother Jason Kelce talk on the 4th tee during the first round of the American Century Celebrity Championship golf tournament. Tom R. Smedes/Special to RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Why Jason Kelce Is Blocked From Covering Chiefs Season Opener

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 12:30 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs will open up their 2025 National Football League season in Brazil on Friday. The Chiefs will face off against their AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers. This is going to be a great game to open up the season. These two teams do not like each other, and they have been going at it for a long time now. For the season opener, it is not going to be any different. These two teams want to get off to a good start, and winning will do that.

This game will be on YouTube. It is the second time the NFL will play a regular-season game in Brazil. The first one came last season. The NFL has done a good job of expanding its game globally now. They are looking to keep this game in Brazil for many years to come.

Jason Kelce

Former NFL player and now NFL analyst Jason Kelce was looking to get in on the call for this matchup on Friday. But he was blocked. Since Kelce does his work for ESPN, and this game will be streaming on YouTube, he was not allowed to cover this game. It is going to be interesting to see if this changes at any point of the season.

"Jason, who joined ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” last spring after playing 13 seasons for the Eagles, was reportedly approached by YouTube to be part of its Week 1 coverage, which will feature his younger brother, newly engaged Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce," said Jaclyn Hendricks on Yahoo Sports.

"That idea was swiftly kiboshed by ESPN, according to the report,"

"Friday’s development comes nearly two months after the outlet reported that networks are hesitant to share their talent elsewhere as Netflix prepares for a stacked Christmas Day lineup that will include the Commanders vs. a Micah Parsons-less Cowboys at 1 p.m., followed by the Vikings and Lions at 4:30 p.m."

"Netflix utilized ESPN’s Mina Kimes and Laura Rutledge in last year’s NFL coverage."

"ESPN’s policy, per Front Office Sports, was implemented prior to YouTube reaching out about Jason, 37, who “was not singled out.”

"Jason, a Super Bowl-winning center with the Eagles, is entering his second season as an analyst."

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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