Jason Kelce says he’s been through “a lot of emotions” in the wake of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.
The retired Eagles player, 37, opened up about what it was like to cheer on his former team while also rooting for his brother, Travis Kelce, 35, the tight end for the rival Kansas City Chiefs.
“That game was odd for me to watch if I’m being completely honest,” Jason Kelce wrote in a lengthy X post. “I knew it was going to be mixed emotions before, during, and after, and I now know what my parents had to deal with two years ago.”
In 2023, the brothers faced off in the Super Bowl, in which the Chiefs narrowly defeated the Eagles 38-35. This marked the first time two brothers had played against each other on rival Super Bowl teams.
Watching this year’s championship game, Jason Kelce said he “wanted what is best” for his brother, but also felt invested in his former team.
“There are so many people, teammates, and coaches, in the Philadelphia Eagles organization that I care deeply about, many of whom I owe my own success to throughout my career,” he wrote.
He praised quarterback Jalen Hurts, coach Nick Sirianni, and all the Eagles players for being “undoubtedly the best team this season.”
“The character and swagger of this Eagles team was something truly special to behold. A true representation of the toughness and grit that makes Philadelphia what it is,” he wrote.
He also shared some loving words about his brother.
“There isn’t a person I love or care about more. It has been tough to process these feelings, of course I feel for him and am always rooting for him, but I know he does not need, nor want my pity,” he wrote. “He has amassed greatness few on this planet could ever dream of, as has his team, and they should feel pride in their accomplishments this season and in the past.
“I know right now they are still thinking of last night and the shortcomings in the last game,” he continued. “But in time that will fade, and the greatness they have exhibited as a group will remain as one of the most dominant eras of football ever.”
Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons in March 2024.
In an emotional press conference, he reflected on his career and specifically on the complicated feelings he had about losing to the Chiefs at the 2023 Super Bowl.
“I won’t forget falling short to the Chiefs and the conflicted feeling of immense heartbreak I had selfishly for myself and for my teammates,” he told reporters, “and at the same time the amount of pride I had that my brother had climbed the mountaintop once again.”
Travis Kelce and their parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, were seen wiping away tears during Jason’s press conference, leaving many fans to praise the family’s close bond and willingness to openly show their emotions.
“The way Jason and Travis Kelce are comfortable enough to let us see their emotions is honorable,” one person wrote on X at the time. “Vulnerability is a superpower and I wish men weren’t looked down upon for it.”
The brothers’ bond comes through in their podcast, “New Heights,” which they have co-hosted since 2022.