Jason Kelce made his grand “return” to the field tonight for Ravens–Lions, but Eagles fans can relax — he wasn’t lining up at center. Well… not exactly. Instead of a purple jersey, Kelce was decked out in a full marching band uniform, leading the show rather than the line of scrimmage.
Yes, Jason Kelce just ticked another weird thing off his checklist. Before the Week 3 game, Jason Kelce joined the Baltimore Ravens’ marching band for Monday Night Football, playing the MNF theme on saxophone.
Kelce spent his entire career suiting up for the Philly, a thirteen-year-long run. While he was at it, he racked up a Super Bowl win, 7 Pro Bowls, and 6 First-team All-Pro selections along the way. So him suiting up in the Ravens’ colours (even if it’s a marching band uniform) is a strange sight.
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To be fair, Kelce couldn’t suit up for the Eagles‘ band even if he wanted to.
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The Eagles parted ways (well, let go) with their iconic band pep band that had played “Fly Eagles Fly” before every game and after every score. The reason behind their departure? The Eagles thought that pre-game entertainment was “evolving.” Well, Jason Kelce clearly doesn’t think so.
After Kelce announced his retirement, he hasn’t exactly gone quiet. He’s become a fixture on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The former Eagle locked in a $24 million multi-year deal to bring his analysis (and, let’s be honest, his personality) to the Monday Night Countdown desk. And if played in a pre-game band is a part of the deal, that money is more than deserved. Playing a saxophone while wearing a hat that doesn’t fit your head sure is something.
But if he was thinking that he’d score some points with the fans after his musical display, he’s in for a big surprise.
Jason Kelce elicits mixed reactions from fans
Yes, the fans didn’t take it too easy on the former Eagles center. And they made their feelings known on X. “What a bafoon,” another remarked. Sure, wearing a hat that’s way too small for your head can fetch you comments like that. But his saxophone skills should make you think otherwise. It seemed like the former center could professionally play in a pep band.
Meanwhile, another netizen wrote, “Better than that cringey podcast where they did some phoney acting over swifts album.” Well, not sure if they enjoyed Kelce’s performance or not, but they clearly aren’t a fan of Taylor Swift’s new album.
“Jason Kelce is the Forrest Gump of todays NFL,” another said, making a rather interesting parallel. Much like the iconic character played by Tom Hanks, Kelce, too, seems like a jack of all trades. So that comparison does land. But could you imagine Forrest screaming like the former NFL player?
“Someone tell that goober how to wear a shako please,” one pointed out. Yeah, about that nose strip — covering his nostrils like he was trying to set a new world record for holding his breath. How he was still breathing is anyone’s guess. But honestly, you can’t blame him for the awkward look… the poor hat didn’t even come close to fitting his head.
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“He tries so hard to stay relevant,” one said. Sure, we do see him a lot. But did he ever really stop being relevant? Taking up the ESPN gig post-retirement and, of course, the New Heights podcast, never let him fade away.
“Kelce’s versatility is unmatched 🏈🎷,” amidst all the negativity, someone finally said it. Yes, he’s an analyst, host, businessman, and philanthropist outside of the field. Only a few can match that versatility. And his brother is one of them.