Yesterday’s episode of the New Heights Podcast saw Jason Kelce finally address and confirm that the rumors about him joining the Eagles are true—not as a player, but as someone helping out around the facility. Fans and analysts alike were already suspicious, as the star center had spent most of the offseason at the team facility. However, this new role won’t come with an official position, and Jason won’t charge a single penny from his beloved franchise.
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“For me, I’m not accepting any money from the Eagles. I don’t have an official position,” said the future Hall of Famer. Then why is he doing this? The decision to join the Eagles setup stems from his personal interest in keeping up with the ever-evolving dynamics of the game.
While it might not seem like a significant reason from the outside, Kelce’s broadcasting commitment to ESPN makes this opportunity worth its weight in gold. He gets to learn a thing or two while maintaining his deep connection to the team he played for over 13 years.
“I’m really just going there out of pure interest on my own to keep my knowledge of the game up… And, obviously, I’ve built up a lot of relationships with the people around that building that I’m gonna help out in any way I can.”
While fans were impressed with Kelce’s decision, and rightfully so, some wondered if this would lead to a conflict of interest in his broadcasting commitment to ESPN. When asked about this, Jason surprisingly sounded clueless.
Jason is unsure if he is ‘breaking any rules’ with his Eagles role
Having a continued locker room presence with the Eagles while broadcasting as an analyst for ESPN sounds like a recipe for heavily biased opinions. Therefore, it was unsurprising to see Travis Kelce ask his older brother if ESPN had any reservations about the situation.
In response, Jason surprisingly admitted that he has no idea if has violated any rules. “I don’t know what the rule is,” candidly responded the former Eagles center.
While none of us are privy to the details of Jason’s contract with ESPN, the former center’s repeated affirmation that he is not “officially” working for the Eagles will surely help his cause.
Moreover, since the former Eagles center is not charging any money for his role, it could easily be portrayed as a well-wisher dropping by occasionally, should the situation escalate.
That said, the biggest winners here are the Eagles. With reports confirming that Jason has been in touch with the Philadelphia Eagles roster since the offseason and training camp, they have a mentor who is completely in the loop with the system.
Arguably, if the Eagles are to go all the way this year, Jason deserves a decent chunk of credit for that.
