Jason Kelce made a costly mistake when he was called for a false start during the Eagles’ 17-20 loss to the Seahawks on the road, and the Philadelphia NFL star is taking full responsibility for the blunder.
After the game at Lumen Field in Seattle, Kelce, 36, said that NFL officials have “been warning me of that for years,” referring to the rule violation that referees handed him a penalty for on Monday. “I had a tendency to do that in the past, so they’ve definitely warned me before,” the Eagles center explained to reporters in the locker room of his false start.
Kelce said, “I’ve got to be smarter, especially in that situation,” and noted that the penalty was likely such a close call because it was third-and-sides, and the officials weren’t willing to let him advance the ball at all. “I think if that’s a full yard to gain, probably not as much, but because it was so short, if I move it forward at all, it’s going to be called, and I’ve just got to be smarter than that,” he said.
Later, Kelce told the media his job as a veteran player for the team heavily relies on his sportsmanship and leadership. “Your job as a veteran is to continue to push and work, and get guys focused on preparing and getting better, and blocking out a lot of the outside stuff,” Kelce shared.
And while the loss in Seattle was “a very tough game to lose,” according to Kelce, he’s prepared to keep his team on the right track. “It was a frustrating day to say the least,” Kelce admitted before adding, “All you can do is move forward and play the next one.”
Earlier this year, the Eagles center and father-of-three was the subject of Amazon Prime’s documentary, Kelce. The veteran NFL star opened up in the film about the emotional turmoil of when to end his playing career, especially as his family with wife Kylie Kelce grows.
The couple, who married in Philadelphia in April 2018, share daughters Wyatt Elizabeth, 3, Elliotte Ray, 2, and Bennett Llewellyn, who was born shortly after her father and uncle, Travis Kelce, played against each other in the 2023 Super Bowl.
