NFL legend Jason Kelce is set to make his broadcasting debut for ESPN this upcoming season. The now-former Philadelphia Eagles center, 36, retired after 13 seasons in February.
Jason will preview the Dallas Cowboys’ November 18 Monday Night Football matchup against the Houston Texans In a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, Jason admitted to not liking the Cowboys or their fanbase – stemming from his time with Philly, their fierce rivals
It was announced in May that Jason was joining ESPN, where he would lineup alongside Scott Van Pelt, Marcus Spears, and Ryan Clark on Monday Night Countdown. Jason will earn $1.8 million annually with ESPN, which includes a $1 million signing bonus, sourced told The U.S. Sun. However, one potentially problematic issue arose during the most recent episode of the New Heights podcast, which he co-hosts with his brother and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis.
Among the games Jason will be covering this season on ESPN will be the Houston Texans at the Dallas Cowboys on November 18. A fierce divisional rival of the Eagles, there isn’t any love lost between Philly and Dallas – something that seems to apply to Jason.
While he assured Travis that he has “no bias,” he did admit to not liking the Cowboys. “But I’m gonna give them their props,” Jason added, before going on to say that he hates Dallas’ fanbase. “I was at a charity golf outing, and there was a kid, and he was like, ‘Hey, I’m a Cowboys fan,'” Jason recalled.
“I was like, ‘Oh, are you from Dallas?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m from Philadelphia.’ “Are you a [Los Angeles] Lakers and a [New York] Yankees fan, too? Like, what are we doing? “We’re just picking whatever team we want; that’s where we’re at?”
Another potentially tough game for Jason to call could be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Travis’ Chiefs on November 4. “I will, of course, be biased in who I’m rooting for,” Jason admitted in a recent New Heights podcast. “But in my analysis, I definitely think I’ll be able to be unbiased.”
He later said that while he will “always be rooting” for both Philly and Kansas City, “As far as sharing sports analysis, football analysis on them, I’ll always be honest.” Jason’s first assignment will see him cover the New York Jets’ season opener at the San Francisco 49ers on September 9.
A week later he will head back home to preview the Eagles’ game against the Atlanta Falcons on September 16. All in all, there will be 23 Monday Night Football games this season. The final two, set to both be played on January 6, have yet to be announced.
Jason said that while he’ll always root for the Eagles as well as his brother Travis’ Kansas City Chiefs, he’ll remain unbiased while on-airCredit: New Heights
