Travis Kelce sat down for his Super Bowl media availability on Monday evening and fielded a variety of questions, including such topics as what he thinks about Las Vegas weddings (“absolutely insane”) and the NFL player who scares him most (Chargers safety Derwin James Jr.).
He was also asked about his brother, Jason, who told his teammates in the locker room after the Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round that this year was his final season as the team’s center, according to multiple reports.
Travis, however, didn’t seem convinced. A reporter asked him Monday evening if he thinks he’ll see Jason in Brazil for the Eagles’ Week 1 debut next year.
“I think so,” Kelce said. “I’m not a betting man, but I think he’s got some football left in him.”
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images
Newsweek reached out Tuesday for comment to Jason’s representatives by email.
Jason is widely considered one of the best centers in the NFL, even at age 36. Earlier this season, the Eagles shared a nearly 30-minute video on YouTube breaking down why he belongs in the Hall of Fame, which Travis said made him cry.
“And there isn’t even a moment when you should be crying,” Travis quipped.
On the brothers’ New Heights podcast shortly after the loss, Jason got choked up talking about the end of his football career, but he said he was frustrated by the leaks, noting that anything that a player says in the heat of the moment after a loss might not be entirely true.
“I’m not trying to be dramatic and continue to draw this thing out. I’m really not,” Jason said.
“It’s just something that I think when it’s time to officially announce what’s happening in the future, it’ll be done in a way that’s definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me, and what has led to the career I’ve had. I don’t think it would be respectful or even accurate to be able to do that right after a game like that,” he said.
Jason’s name recognition has skyrocketed over the last year. The popularity of the podcast is, of course, a big part of that, and Travis said he likes watching people appreciate his brother.
“Seeing how talented he is. As an offensive lineman, you don’t get that opportunity very much, and I think outside of just our family dynamic and being able to showcase our brotherhood,” Travis said Monday.
“Going into it, everybody thought we were polar opposites,” he continued. “We knew once you saw us in the same room, you’d realize we’re brothers. So there’s that aspect, the ability to just show off my family and seeing his career and his personality take a different trip. It’s been amazing to see and awesome to see everyone fall in love with him.”
Travis added that he isn’t sure if the atmosphere in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl will compel his brother to celebrate quite the same way that the atmosphere in Buffalo, New York, did after the Chiefs defeated the Bills on January 21.
“It’s just who he is,” Travis said. “He enjoys the game of football. I think the desire and the love that we have for this game since we were kids, it oozes out of us and we can’t help that.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.