Jason Kelce’s expanded ESPN role and NFL rule changes highlight the latest New Heights podcast
Also up for discussion was Jason's younger brother Travis, preparing for his 14th season in the NFL on what was the 200th episode of the popular pod.
Football is officially back, and few seem more prepared than the Kelce brothers, who shared a collection of opinions on the 200th episode of New Heights before Week 1 of the NFL season gets underway.
The duo discussed Travis Kelce’s upcoming 14th season with the Kansas City Chiefs, expectations for the Eagles’ opener Sunday against the Washington Commanders, and even brought on Eagles assistant general manager Jon Ferrari to help explain rule changes.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce is taking on an expanded role at ESPN and will call four games, including the Birds’ London game against the Jaguars in Week 5. Like many Eagles fans, he’s curious about what to expect from new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the new offense is going to look like,” he said. “They have not shown what this offense is going to look like yet in the preseason, but we do know what this looks like in the McVay-Shanahan tree. ... Very much looking forward to seeing what these guys look like this Sunday.”
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The brothers discussed how the Commanders are “a bit banged up” heading into Week 1, with Washington’s team missing a few of their starters due to injury.
On the contrary, in Kansas City, Travis Kelce spoke of the excitement of Week 1 football, and being back with a healthy team. Patrick Mahomes, now recovered from an ACL injury late last season, had Travis singing his QB’s praises going into their first game against the Denver Broncos on Monday night.
“We are going to see the best quarterback in the NFL play this Monday,” both Kelce brothers said during the episode.
A highlight of the episode was hearing from Eagles assistant general manager John Ferrari, who brought perspective to some rule changes and penalty calls, like the horse-collar grab, defending the rule — which makes it illegal to grab the inside of the collar by the pads — with more civility than self-proclaimed ’90s football lover Jason Kelce.
“A couple years ago, the competition committee looked at it and said, you know, that leverage that collar grab gives you is an unfair advantage to the offensive lineman ... the sustained collar grab, they want that for holding if they can see it,” explained Ferrari.
Defending a move he did frequently on the field while wearing Eagles green, Kelce responded, “Why are we playing patty cake? Why can’t I just clean this dude’s clock? I thought we were playing football, John.”
“To be fair, I also liked watching receivers get their heads knocked off,” Jason said with a laugh. “I just like watching people get destroyed. It’s like deep in my bones — ’90s football hasn’t gone away.”
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However, even with the ever-fluctuating rule changes, it is clear that football fans are ready to see their teams back on the field.
“There’s nothing better, man, than the feeling you get going into Week 1,” Travis said during the episode. “You get a fresh start, especially if you got a sour taste in your mouth from last year ... there is nothing better than primetime football, and the magic is in the air.”
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.
