Jason Kelce has apologized after slamming the cell phone of a fan who directed a homophobic slur at his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, this past weekend.
Jason Kelce addressed the situation on ESPN as part of the network’s coverage of “Monday Night Football” between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Here’s what Kelce said regarding the incident:
“I’m not happy with anything that took place. I’m not proud of it. In a heated moment, I chose to greet hate with hate, and I just don’t think that is a productive thing. I really don’t. I don’t think that it leads to discourse and is the right way to go about things.
“In that moment, I fell down to a level that I shouldn’t have. So I think, the bottom line is, I try to live my life by the golden rule. That’s what I’ve always been taught. I try to treat people with common decency and respect, and I’m going to keep doing that moving forward.
“I feel short this week, but I’m going to do that moving forward and continue to do that.”
Kelce became a household name in NFL circles during his highly-successful career playing center for the Philadelphia Eagles. But his popularity reached a higher scale following the Amazon documentary that chronicled his second-to-last season with the Eagles. The documentary centered around Kelce’s life as a family man trying to decide whether or not to continue playing beyond the 2022 season. The documentary also touched on Kelce’s budding career in broadcasting.
Kelce ended up playing one more season before calling it a career after the 2023 season. In 13 years with the Eagles, Kelce was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and was a six-time All-Pro. He played an integral role in the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl-winning season.
In retirement, Kelce has landed a broadcasting role with ESPN and has continued to co-host his podcast with brother Travis, who is in the middle of his 12th season with the Chiefs.
