National Football League

What Travis, Jason and Donna Kelce are saying about the 'Kelce Bowl'

Updated Feb. 10, 2023 6:44 p.m. ET

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Feb. 12 will be a big day for the Kelce family. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce will become the first pair of brothers to play against each other in the Super Bowl when Kansas City and Philadelphia face off. 

The two, and their mother Donna, have spoken publicly about the first-time event in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, with Donna even surprising her sons with cookies in a memorable moment during Super Bowl Opening Night.

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce are joined by their mom onstage ahead of Super Bowl LVII

The Super Bowl could also provide even more special moments for their mother Donna — as well as the newest addition to the growing Kelce clan.

Here is what the Kelces themselves are saying about the "Kelce Bowl."

Initial reaction

"I'm no longer a Chiefs fan, Trav, sorry to break it to ya," Jason said on the Feb. 2 episode of the brothers' podcast after both of their teams won their respective conference championship games. "I officially took my Chiefs sweatshirt off immediately after the [game-winning Harrison] Butker kick. My fandom is closed for the next two weeks. No barbecue, no nothing."

Both Jason and Travis admitted the moment would be one of the most special — and bittersweet — of their respective careers.

"I don't know that I ever thought it was going to happen," Jason said. "I thought that it could happen, but I didn't really ever fully anticipate it happening until pretty much last week. I was like, ‘Man, this could really happen. We could really have a Kelce Bowl, and we could actually be doing this.’"

"This is wild and kind of surreal. I feel like I've been getting asked this question my entire career, like ‘What would you feel if you play your brother in the Super Bowl?’ And the entire time I've been like, 'That's been the goal, to play my brother in the Super Bowl,'" Travis said.

"It just sounded cool and felt like that's what I wanted. But now it's like, I don't know, man, somebody's got to send their brother home."

Jason wondered just how improbable this scenario was.

"What are the chances that two guys go to the NFL, then they become starters, then they become All-Pros and important pieces of their team, and then they end up playing each other in a Super Bowl?" Jason said. "It's got to be something like a lottery pick probability, right? Were we playing the lottery this whole time?"

Still, the Kelces made it clear they did not want the brother vs. brother storyline to overshadow the accomplishments of their respective teams. 

Patrick Mahomes calls Travis Kelce "the best TE of all time"

Patrick Mahomes joins Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes on "First Things First" to discuss Travis Kelce.

"I kind of don't like that we're calling it the Kelce Bowl," Jason said.

"Let's get back to Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl," Travis added.

Don't touch the statue!

Travis had a warning for Chiefs fans after 49ers supporters tried to put a Brock Purdy jersey on Philadelphia's famous Rocky statue — only for the move to backfire as it has for other Eagles opponents.

"Every team you guys play in the playoffs, someone tries to throw their jersey on the Rocky statue like it’s just going to — I don’t know, I don’t get it," Travis said. "All it’s doing is poking the bear."

Jason, however, has his own theory.

"I think somebody from Philadelphia is doing this now," Jason said. "I don’t think this is an opposing team thing at this point. There’s no way opposing teams continue to do this. I am convinced that there is a Philadelphia fan who is putting these shirts on the Rocky statue just to get everybody all fired up. And it’s working. It’s working tremendously, so keep doing it. I guarantee it. There’s no way. Because it’s happened every single game — the Giants did it, the 49ers did it, there will probably be a Chiefs jersey on it this week."

Travis was horrified at the idea.

"No way. No way," Travis responded. "Chiefs [fans], do not touch the f------ Rocky memorial. OK? Do not do that. Definitely don’t put an 87 (jersey) on it. Do not do that."

However, some Chiefs fans appear to have ignored Travis's advice.

This Super Bowl is for ‘ultimate bragging rights’

Both Jason and Travis shared plenty of hilarious stories about competing with each other while growing up during Super Bowl Opening Night. But they both know Sunday's battle will have some extra significance.

[Kelce brothers one-up each other at Super Bowl LVII Opening Night]

A Gronk-sized letdown

The brothers opened their Feb. 2 podcast with some disappointing news — they had to call their friend (and NFL on FOX analyst) Rob Gronkowski to let him know they would not be able to attend his "Gronk Beach" music festival during Super Bowl week.

"It would be unpolite to not let him know that we're not going to make it," Jason reasoned.

The two ended up leaving him a message before receiving a call back from Gronkowski later in the taping.

"Obviously, I was hoping at least one of you could come to Gronk Beach, but you guys have way more important things," Gronkowski said. "The party will always be there."

Mother knows best

Donna Kelce and her half-and-half Chiefs-Eagles jersey representing both of her sons will be in attendance in Arizona for the Super Bowl — and some even want her to have a role in the game herself. A Change.org petition asking the NFL to let Donna do the game's opening coin toss had 112,000 signatures and counting as of Saturday afternoon.

And Donna already has her rooting interest picked out.

"The offense," she told NBC recently. "[Whoever] has the ball."

Donna has watched her sons in a Super Bowl before — Jason in 2018 and Travis in 2020 — and is expecting fewer nerves this time around.

"They've already got the first [Super Bowl] win under their belts, so this is going to be pure joy," Donna Kelce said. "We're going to really enjoy this and have a great time. Obviously, there's going to be somebody that's going to go home heartbroken, and they won't have bragging rights at the Thanksgiving table, but this is going to be an awesome event and I'm really looking forward to it. … Probably some tears, it will be a very emotional moment." 

11 Travis Kelces vs. 11 Jason Kelces?

Donna also answered the question of who would win in a true Kelce bowl between a team of 11 Travises and 11 Jasons.

The brothers' Eagles and Chiefs teammates also had some thoughts on the subject.

[Super Bowl Opening Night: Top moments from Eagles media availability]

Travis recalls how Jason was there at his lowest

There may not be a Travis Kelce without a major intervention from his older brother during their University of Cincinnati days, when Travis was dealt a yearlong suspension after testing positive for marijuana.

"When I got removed from the team I got my scholarship taken so I was staying with my brother, I was in his room and his house, kind of like two brothers growing up living in the same room," Travis said (h/t ProFootballTalk). "So in terms of rent I wasn’t paying rent, in terms of food he was helping me with food, so I was literally living off him for quite a while down there and he was my lifeline. 

"I was trying to do the right things, and he went into the coaches’ office and talked to numerous coaches and numerous people in the Cincinnati staff to try to get me another chance to be on the team. I’m forever in debt to this guy for putting his name, our name, putting his honor on the line to get me another chance. When I say I owe it all to him, I really do."

Years later, Jason played another major role in helping Travis's career by helping convince his old Eagles coach Andy Reid — now with the Chiefs — to draft Travis in 2013. Reid recounted the story during Super Bowl Opening Night.

Chiefs' Andy Reid speaks on Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce facing each other

Although it has been over a decade since Reid last coached Jason Kelce, the elder Kelce brother still shares a close bond with the man who drafted both him and Travis.

Eagles' Jason Kelce on Chiefs' Andy Reid: 'He truly cares about each and every player that he's coached'

Jason said that Reid once told him, "I drafted you, I drafted Travis and if there's another Kelce I'll draft him too." Though neither Jason nor Travis have sons, Jason pointed out that he has two daughters who he would love Reid to coach someday.

[Super Bowl Opening Night: Top moments from Chiefs media availability]

Jason's daughters love their "Uncle Travy"

Donna Kelce may be remaining coy about which son is her favorite, but Jason readily admitted that his daughters may love their "Uncle Travy" more than they love him.

"He's an incredible person," Jason said of his brother. "His heart is enormous."

[Super Bowl Opening Night: Best quotes from Eagles, Chiefs]

Ready for another Kelce?

Near the end of their Feb. 2 podcast episode, Jason pointed out that they need to figure out which sideline their parents will be seated on. Travis said he planned to give his ticket allotment to his group of close friends while Jason will give at least some of his to his wife Kylie, their daughters and Kylie's parents, as well as one special guest.

"Kylie's bringing her OB[GYN] because she's going to be 38 weeks pregnant," Jason revealed.

"Dude. If she has a baby…," Travis exclaimed.

"If she has a baby in the stadium, it's officially scripted," Jason responded.

Jason later agreed when touching on the subject during Super Bowl Opening Night.

Jason Kelce on if his wife gives birth during the game: 'We got to name her Super'

The first-ever brother vs. brother Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET Feb. 12 only on FOX and the FOX Sports App.

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