Jason Kelce Had To Apologize To Viewers After Slipping Up Big-Time On Live TV [VIDEO]
Jason Kelce spent 13 years centering the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line. He retired in March 2024 and joined ESPN two months later as a supposedly neutral analyst.
Monday night tested that neutrality in front of a national audience. Kelce was back on the desk for ESPN’s coverage as the Eagles traveled to face the Chicago Bears. The game turned into a rough night for Philadelphia’s offense well before the final whistle.
Kelce slipped up early, and he kept slipping. He caught himself mid-sentence during a pregame chat with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni. “Jalen Hurts has been off to a really hot start… He’s playing awesome for us, for the Eagles. Should say that. Unbiased media member,” Kelce said.
Pat McAfee Called Out His Broadcasting Slip On Air
The bigger moment came at halftime. Kelce broke down the Eagles’ performance and leaned right back into old habits. “We played really well offensively; we had opportunities. We shot ourselves in the foot,” he said.
Co-host Pat McAfee wasn’t about to let it slide. “A lot of ‘we’ talk out of Jason for Philly,” McAfee said on the broadcast. Kelce owned the mistake right away. “Sorry, Bears fans,” he said.
Using “we” for a former team breaks a basic rule broadcasters are taught early on. Analysts are supposed to stay neutral no matter how long they played for a franchise. That rule exists for a reason. Viewers tune in expecting balanced analysis, not a former player rooting for his old locker room.
Kelce’s slip wasn’t his first run-in with that expectation. The Eagles legend has drawn plenty of criticism from fans. Some have even questioned whether ESPN made the right call putting him in the booth at all, since he made the jump from the locker room to the broadcast desk.
The Bears ended up routing Philadelphia 27-7, with Case Keenum puttin on a show for the home crowd at Soldier Field.
The Eagles offense struggled all night with turnovers and penalties. Nick Sirianni’s frustration boiled over on the sideline, too. He was caught on camera directing an angry outburst at Chicago’s bench. That came after a hit that knocked Jalen Hurts out of the game for a concussion evaluation.
Kelce Has Faced Objectivity Questions Before
This wasn’t an isolated blip for Kelce. He’s now in his third season as an ESPN studio analyst. Viewers still catch him defaulting to Eagles fan mode during broadcasts, no matter how many times he corrects himself.
Kelce is set to call Philadelphia’s game against Jacksonville in London on October 11. That assignment will put his neutrality under a microscope once again, especially after Monday’s slip went viral.
Given how often this critique follows him, Monday probably won’t be the last time he catches himself rooting for his old team on live television.
Jason Kelce Had To Apologize To Viewers After Slipping Up Big-Time On Live TV [VIDEO]
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