Kylie Kelce had three Eagles offensive linemen on her podcast to talk a new season, superstitions, and more
Kelce, who's married to former Eagles center Jason Kelce, hosted Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, and Landon Dickerson as well as their wives, Kelsey, Niki, and Brooke to talk Week 1 and life in the NFL.
In just a few days, Lincoln Financial Field will be filled with screaming fans. But on Thursday morning, Kylie Kelce brought some casual fun to the stadium with an on-site taping of her podcast, Not Gonna Lie.
The episode featured Eagles offensive linemen Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, and Landon Dickerson — aka her husband, Jason’s, former teammates — as well as their wives, Kelsey, Niki, and Brooke. The roughly hourlong episode ran the gamut in topics from game day superstitions, first impressions, and Jason Kelce crash outs to a low-stakes version of The Newlywed Game. Mailata, Jason Kelce, and Johnson’s Philly Specials Christmas albums also came up, and Johnson said those “are on standby.”
As the Kelces and Eagles prepare for Week 1, Kylie and the O-linemen shared some of their good-luck practices. Kylie even brought a wooden spoon to the field, just in case she needed to knock on wood to ward off any bad Eagles luck.
“Game day rituals usually include a very specific T-shirt,” Kelce said. “It means whatever T-shirt I take out that has a new Eagle — which is not the old-school Eagle, that one has not worked out for me in the past. … I’ve tracked it.”
And pro tip: She says not to tag her in social media posts or send her messages, especially pregame. On game days, “Life is not happening. The Eagles are happening, and that’s what we’re focused on,” she said. That’ll include Sunday, when she plans to be at the Linc for the season opener vs. the Washington Commanders.
Some other rituals included eating the same meals before games, though Mailata now says he’s “tired of being a prisoner of superstition.”
“I’d have the same pasta order for like seven years,” said Mailata, who was drafted in 2018 but is entering his seventh NFL season. “Even breakfast, the same breakfast. I wasn’t even hungry, but I’d force down eight eggs and four pancakes. Now, just four pancakes because I just prioritize the carbs.”
» READ MORE: We previewed new food items for Eagles games. These are the highlights.
Johnson was less devoted to his rituals, but he admitted that he sometimes looks away when a game isn’t going the Eagles’ way. Kelce has gone as far as rotating a full 180 degrees in her seat at the Linc rather than watching.
Even as a veteran entering his 14th season, there’s still an element of unknown entering the season opener for Johnson.
“The first game is always weird because nobody’s playing in preseason,” Johnson said. “Like, you have some things you see, but it’s really like you’re going to learn it in the first couple drives, series, what their cards are.”
The players discussed their feelings about longstanding rivalries, like the Cowboys (and their thoughts on the “America’s Team” branding), as well as other contenders like the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams.
“My husband is on record saying that Aaron Donald is the guy he least looked forward to playing up against,” Kylie Kelce said, receiving a chorus of agreement about the Rams star.
“Yeah, him and his teammate Myles [Garrett],” Johnson added.
» READ MORE: Jason Kelce’s expanded ESPN role and NFL rule changes highlight the latest ‘New Heights’ podcast
The wives appeared later in the episode and shared similar sentiments about their nerves watching the games and being immersed into NFL life.
“When I think of my ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment,” Niki Ikahihifo-Bender Mailata said, “Jordan got injured early on, and I remember being like, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!’ And then they’re like, ‘No, it’s OK, it’s OK. It’s only bad if the cart comes out,’ and then the cart came out.”
The Eagles’ regular season roster is set - for now. How ready is the team for the new year, and will the talent be enough for the Eagles to get back to Super Bowl contention? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Mike Sielski examine general manager Howie Roseman’s final roster decisions in the aftermath of cutdown day. Listen here.
Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.
