Jason Kelce has amazing future in commentary post-heartbreaking retirement

Even before Jason Kelce bid farewell to playing football earlier this week, wheels were set in motion for the next step in his professional life. Well, obviously, Kelce’s priority is to spend more time with his family, which is why he hung up his boots. But professionally, he can still contribute a lot. Keeping in mind his off-field activities, fans may soon witness him taking up a job at a prominent sports broadcasting network.

Each year, there’s a bucket list of recently retired players that the networks try to poach and put to good use. Almost like clockwork, the former Philadelphia Eagles center received several offers from TV networks to join their platform for an undisclosed position.

Kelce was in Vegas for a short while ago and met with representatives of both major channels, ESPN and Fox Sports. While there hasn’t been much talk about the meeting, the word is that these talks are viewed as a preliminary “testing of the water.”

Then why should the other organizations stay behind? Inside sources, with knowledge of the alleged meeting, have speculated that CBS, NBC, and Amazon will all take their turns. 

Does Jason Kelce have a future in broadcasting?

Creating a podcast

It doesn’t happen often for a player who is easily a Hall of Famer, Super Bowl winner, and one of the world’s sexiest men alive. No wonder the CEOs of the major sports channels are knocking on the 36-year-old’s door.

His talent in front of the camera first popped up while teaming up with brother Travis Kelce, establishing the ‘New Heights‘ podcast. Initially, their venture was about the unseen part of their football lives. It did not take long for viewers to get hooked and wait for the next episode to drop. Sometimes they would bring in teammates from both of their respective teams, which worked like a charm. 

Can have a similar trajectory as Pat McAfee

Similar to Kelce’s, another former player was building his empire. Former Colts punter Pat McAfee‘s show became a sensation on social media. McAfee’s first approach was a massive success, quickly gaining more than 2.4 million followers on YouTube. His show went global after ESPN bought out the rights, securing a blockbuster deal last year amidst extensive layoffs.

While Jason Kelce may not have the engaging camera presence of McAfee, he definitely has the presence of mind to say the right things. His witty takes and stories surrounding the sport he loves the most never fail to bring loads of views. As a result, they have quickly secured more than 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube and many more on both Apple and Spotify.

Now, some will point out that Travis’ new girlfriend, Taylor Swift, played a big part in their journey to become a recognized name outside of the USA. The pop star is a global icon, and with her in the frame, their fame has skyrocketed in a mere six months. Both Jason and Travis even thanked her for helping their channel grow and making them household names. Similar to McAfee, any major network can opt to buy out Jason’s show, thus making its debut on TV. 

Jason can be a great fit for NBC

With all due respect, NBC’s football broadcasting was in shambles in the playoffs last season. The network’s lack of depth during game-day announcements is very thin. Their primary announcers are former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett (replacing regular Cris Collinsworth) and Mike Tirico on Sunday Night Football.

No matter how good Coach Garrett was, he just wasn’t for the network. He neither has the polished skills to be a great caster nor does he appear to be well-informed about the latest trends. The concern is that they are so thin in the broadcasting department that their college football announcers, Noah Eagle, and Todd Blackledge, had to fill in for the AFC Wild Card game. 

The coverage wasn’t bad. It was far from the standards of a top broadcasting network. When competitors like FOX are adding Tom Brady, they must up their game to attract more traffic to their website. 

Kelce, however, can be the bearer of good news for NBC. He could easily be the second-in-command at the announcer table, alongside Collinsworth. Then, after a short while, when the veteran broadcaster calls his time, the 7-time Pro Bowler could easily take over from him as the main man.

Previous work experience on TV

It’s important to note that network executives are clearly aware of the power that the Kelce brand brings. Travis hosted Saturday Night Live last year, and Jason made a cameo during his monologue. He revealed to TMZ, about loving the experience.

I was fortunate to watch Travis do it last year and see what all goes into it. Came away beyond impressed with all the people involved in making that show work and all the talent that was there.

Jason Kelce told TMZ

Not only that, he also appeared in a 21-minute interview with Football Night in America‘s Devin McCourty, talking about his football career and life outside of the game. During the interview, he expressed the desire to have Swift as a special guest on his podcast.

This doesn’t mean NBC is the only destination for Jason Kelce. Certainly not. He was in the booth for play-by-play, injecting some spark in a rather cagey Carolina Panthers vs. Chicago Bears showdown.

Not only that, he even featured in a commercial for legendary Chicago hot-dog restaurant The Wiener’s Circle, as per Newsweek.

After it went viral, Travis asked his brother in the very next episode of their podcast whether he would want to see himself broadcasting. Jason replied that he didn’t know, but Travis hinted that he definitely does.

I could do the desk pre/post-show, have an opinion on the teams and the games, and stuff like that. I think any former player could do that. [Guess] that part isn't that hard of having an opinion on something.

Jason Kelce said on The New Heights podcast

Last year, Amazon released a documentary on the Clevland Heights native, named ‘Kelce.‘ It received a ton of love from the viewers. His recent meetings with various networks are a sign that he wants to return to football as soon as possible. Now which role he takes up remains to be seen.

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