Jason Kelce made his NFL Countdown debut in true Jason Kelce style after returning from the Paris Olympics.
The former Philadelphia Eagles center retired from the NFL in March after 13 seasons and one Super Bowl victory. A month after hanging up his boots, Kelce signed a three-year contract with ESPN that pays him $1.8 million annually to join the NFL’s program.
On Thursday, the beloved NFL legend made his long-awaited debut alongside Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark and Marcus Spears. Kelce, who had flown in from Paris to participate in the Games, was still very much in the Olympic spirit, as he wore a beret with his suit.
“I’m still on Paris time, so I had to wear the Paris headdress,” Kelce said after his fellow panelist asked him about his outfit.
On Tuesday, Kelce was spotted in the French capital supporting Team USA at various competitions.
Travis Kelce made his NFL Countdown debut on Thursday after returning from the Olympics
Along with his wife, Kylie, Kelce watched as Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team took gold in the team competition. They also cheered on the women’s rugby sevens team as they earned a spot on the podium.
After a long day of cheering on her countrymen at the games, Kylie posted a funny video of Jason on her Instagram Story. The video shows her husband looking exhausted in a chair, clutching a stack of cups in one hand and his phone in the other while holding a rugby ball and a miniature volleyball between his left forearm and torso.
Kelce also sported a USA cap, a rugby jersey with the athletes’ signatures and a button-down shirt with the American colors and Maher’s face printed in different places.
“Yes, that’s @ilonamaher on his shirt,” Kylie wrote in the caption. “When you finally sit down after all the excitement…”
Kelce wore a jersey with Ilona Maher’s face on it at the Olympics on Tuesday.
Kelce joined ESPN on a three-year contract after a 13-season career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Additionally, his new colleagues mocked Kelce for wearing underwear after he revealed that he doesn’t enjoy the discomfort of underwear.
“I think it’s unnecessary and disruptive to the freedom that my kids like to enjoy. If that’s going to change… I don’t think it’s going to change,” Kelce said on an episode of New Heights.
However, when Clark joked about Kelce’s change of heart due to his new profession, Kelce played along, saying, “That’s new. Well, it’s a gray suit; if I don’t wear it, it’s risky.”