The highly anticipated Super Bowl LIX showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles has put former Eagles center Jason Kelce in a tough spot.
His younger brother, Travis Kelce, is of course a star tight end for the Chiefs, but Jason spent his entire NFL career in Philadelphia.
Now retired, he admitted on his “New Heights” podcast that choosing a side won’t be easy.
“Obviously, you’re my brother, I’ll always root for my brother,” Jason said. “Even though I’m decked out in Eagles gear, I’m always going to root for Travis, but, there’s a lot of people in the Philadelphia organization, whether it’s players, coaches, people in the building, that feel like extended family to me, especially my former linemen.”
Despite his deep connection to the Eagles, Jason made it clear that one thing is off-limits: wearing Chiefs gear. That decision seems to hint where his allegiance leans, though he stopped short of making a definitive pick.
For Travis, though, the family bond outweighs the competition. Speaking at a press conference in New Orleans earlier this week, he reaffirmed that no matter who Jason supports, their relationship remains unshaken.
“I love my brother more than anything, man,” Travis said. “This game, no matter who he cheers for, won’t sway me one bit in how much I love the guy. Football is just a game in our household, and it’s something that we’ve grown to love and take as a career, but at the end of the day, we know what’s real, and I wouldn’t be here without my brother, and vice versa.”
While Jason may struggle with his Super Bowl loyalties, the good news for him is that, no matter what, someone he cares about will hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
Speaking of ESPN broadcasters, the Monday Night Football crew also weighed in on the game.
While Troy Aikman is going with Mahomes and the Chiefs, his partner Joe Buck is rolling with the Birds.
“I guess only an idiot, and I qualify, would pick against the Chiefs in a close game,” Buck said. “I feel like this is where Vic Fangio gets it done for the city of Philadelphia.”
Meanwhile, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning recently shared his thoughts on the matchup and whether Kansas City can secure its third straight Super Bowl title.
In an interview with Complex Magazine, Manning praised Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and acknowledged the challenge of stopping Kansas City.
“I wouldn’t count out the Chiefs for sure,” Manning said. “Patrick Mahomes is a winner.”
Manning also named Mahomes among his top five quarterbacks of all time, cementing his respect for the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
Speaking of high-profile college quarterbacks, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has his own prediction for Super Bowl LIX, and he’s siding with Philadelphia.
On his 2Legendary podcast, Sanders made it clear he wants to see Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts take home his first championship ring.
“I got the Eagles,” Sanders said. “I want Jalen Hurts to win, bro. He has a good story.”
While his co-host, Darius Sanders, picked Mahomes and the Chiefs to win, Shedeur remained firm in his support for the Eagles – though he admitted it was more of a heart pick than a calculated one.
“I like Patrick for sure,” he said. “But I don’t know. I just want the Eagles to win.”
Shedeur pointed to Philadelphia’s rushing attack, now featuring Saquon Barkley, as a major factor that could halt Kansas City’s dynasty run.
“The most important thing in football is being able to run the ball,” Sanders added. “They have Saquon Barkley, so I think they’re able to run the football, establish the run, and get a lot of play-action passes because it’s so focused on the run. Jalen Hurts going to do what he’s got to do to win.”
With the Eagles entering the game as slight 1.5-point underdogs, the matchup is expected to be a close one. However, Sanders made sure to warn fans not to put too much stock in his prediction.
“I be wrong sometimes,” he said. “I thought we was gonna win at Stanford, and we lost. Still hurts me to this day.”
With differing opinions from NFL legends and rising stars alike, Super Bowl LIX is shaping up to be one of the most compelling games in recent memory.
While on the topic of predictions, here’s a rundown of who some of the top analysts are siding with…
FOX Sports NFL Expert Picks
Keyshawn Johnson: Eagles 35, Chiefs 27
LeSean McCoy: Eagles 30, Chiefs 27
Jason McIntyre: Eagles 31, Chiefs 20
Sammy Panayotovich: Eagles 24, Chiefs 20
Ralph Vacchiano: Eagles 27, Chiefs 20
Greg Auman: Eagles 31, Chiefs 28
Rob Rang: Eagles 34, Chiefs 27
James Jones: Chiefs 30, Eagles 27
Emmanuel Acho: Chiefs 30, Eagles 28
Chase Daniel: Chiefs 34, Eagles 31
Henry McKenna: Chiefs 25, Eagles 23
Ben Arthur: Chiefs 28, Eagles 25
Eric D. Williams: Chiefs 30, Eagles 13
Carmen Vitali: Chiefs 33, Eagles 31
David Helman: Chiefs 28, Eagles 27
(Final Count: 8 Chiefs, 7 Eagles)
ESPN NFL Expert Picks
(Predicting a Chiefs Win: 41)
31-25 – Aaron Schatz (NFL analyst)
33-30 – Andrew Hawkins (NFL analyst)
24-21 – Ben Baby (Bengals reporter)
31-27 – Ben Solak (NFL analyst)
32-29 – Brooke Pryor (Steelers reporter)
27-24 – Damien Woody (NFL analyst)
27-19 – Dan Graziano (National NFL reporter)
24-21 – Dan Orlovsky (NFL analyst)
27-24 – Daniel Oyefusi (Browns reporter)
34-30 – David Newton (Panthers reporter)
27-23 – David Purdum (Betting analyst)
27-24 – DJ Bien-Aime (Texans reporter)
35-28 – Eric Woodyard (Lions reporter)
28-25 – Field Yates (NFL/NFL Draft analyst)
24-20 – Jamison Hensley (Ravens reporter)
38-24 – Jason Reid (Andscape senior NFL writer)
38-35 – Jeff Darlington (National NFL reporter)
35-34 – Jeff Saturday (NFL analyst)
24-21 – John Keim (Commanders reporter)
32-31 – Jordan Raanan (Giants reporter)
27-24 – Jordan Reid (NFL Draft analyst)
31-28 – Josh Weinfuss (Cardinals reporter)
34-31 – Katherine Terrell (Saints reporter)
30-26 – Kevin Clark (NFL analyst)
27-24 – Kevin Seifert (Vikings reporter)
28-24 – Kimberley A. Martin (National NFL reporter)
27-24 – Lindsey Thiry (National NFL reporter)
21-17 – Marc Raimondi (Falcons reporter)
27-21 – Marcel Louis-Jacques (Dolphins reporter)
27-24 – Matt Miller (NFL Draft analyst)
28-21 – Michelle Beisner-Buck (NFL features reporter)
31-30 – Mike Greenberg (Commentator)
31-28 – Mike Tannenbaum (NFL analyst)
30-27 – Mina Kimes (NFL analyst)
30-20 – Nick Wagoner (49ers reporter)
27-21 – Rich Cimini (Jets reporter)
34-31 – Sarah Barshop (Rams reporter)
27-23 – Stephen Holder (Colts reporter)
27-24 – Tedy Bruschi (NFL analyst)
23-17 – Tim Hasselbeck (NFL analyst)
27-23 – Todd Archer (Cowboys reporter)
(Predicting an Eagles Win: 26)
31-27 – Alaina Getzenberg (Bills reporter)
31-28 – Alden Gonzalez (Baseball reporter)
27-24 – Brady Henderson (Seahawks reporter)
31-27 – Courtney Cronin (Bears reporter)
34-32 – Elizabeth Merrill (Senior writer)
29-24 – Herm Edwards (NFL analyst)
24-21 – Jenna Laine (Buccaneers reporter)
30-24 – Jeremy Fowler (National NFL reporter)
28-25 – Joe Buck (Commentator)
22-16 – John Buccigross (Commentator)
33-30 – Kalyn Kahler (National NFL reporter)
32-22 – Kris Rhim (Chargers reporter)
35-32 – Marcus Spears (NFL analyst)
27-23 – Matt Bowen (NFL analyst)
27-24 – Michael DiRocco (Jaguars reporter)
27-23 – Mike Clay (Fantasy analyst)
20-17 – Mike Reiss (Patriots reporter)
24-20 – Paul Gutierrez (Raiders reporter)
28-24 – Rob Demovsky (Packers reporter)
34-30 – Sal Paolantonio (National NFL reporter)
30-24 – Scott Van Pelt (Commentator)
25-24 – Seth Walder (NFL analyst)
17-14 – Seth Wickersham (Senior writer)
31-28 – Stephania Bell (Senior writer)
34-31 – Tim Keown (Senior writer)
28-24 – Turron Davenport (Titans reporter)
TheMMQB NFL Expert Picks
Albert Breer: Chiefs 27, Eagles 23 (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)
Conor Orr: Eagles 31, Chiefs 28 (MVP: Jalen Hurts)
Gilberto Manzano: Chiefs 27, Eagles 24 (MVP: Travis Kelce)
Matt Verderame: Chiefs 27, Eagles 23 (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)
Greg Bishop: Chiefs 24, Eagles 21 (MVP: Nick Bolton)
Michael Rosenberg: Chiefs 27, Eagles 17 (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)
Andrew Brandt: Eagles 31, Chiefs 16 (MVP: Saquon Barkley)
John Pluym: Chiefs 31, Eagles 28 (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)
Mitch Goldich: Chiefs 26, Eagles 25 (MVP: Patrick Mahomes)
Alright, now that you’ve made it through all of those, let us know what YOUR Super Bowl prediction is…
