The former NFL star opened up about how the attention from his brother’s relationship with the superstar has affected his family in all aspects.

 / Source: TODAY
By Francesca Gariano

Jason Kelce opened up about how his brother Travis Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift has taken attention on their family to “another level.”

The former Philadelphia Eagles center, who announced his retirement from the NFL on March, appeared on the “Whiskey Ginger” podcast on June 7.

During the episode, he spoke to host Andrew Santino about the newfound attention on his family, including his wife, Kylie Kelce, and their three daughters, Wyatt, Elliotte, and Bennett.

When the host pointed out that the Kelce family, including his parents Ed and Donna Kelce, had become “such a fixture” in pop culture, Kelce said, “It’s been crazy. Travis and Taylor have taken it to another level.”

“That’s a whole other side of it,” Kelce added. “Kylie and I think we have it bad and then we go hang out with one of them for a second. This is a whole other situation here…You can’t be a normal person at that point.”

Earlier in the podcast, the host joked that Kylie Kelce was “arguably more famous” than her husband, to which the potential future sportscaster agreed and added, “Yeah, she should be.”

Kelce cited the 2023 Prime Video documentary “Kelce” as another pivotal moment for added attention on his family, explaining that Kylie Kelce was “a little bit uncomfortable” with “how much it’s become.”

“Our family’s out there, people know what our kids look like,” he said. “We’ve tried to retract from that a little bit. But I think she enjoys that fact that she gets to go and do charitable outings, she gets to give back to the community, she gets to do clinics with little girls with field hockey.”

Kelce said that his wife “enjoys that aspect” of fame but is more “hesitant” to other areas, noting that “it’s hard to always be available.”

“I think more often than not, it’s such an awesome interaction whenever you’re doing that stuff,” Kelce explained. “The vast majority of people are beyond respectful and appreciative. You realize that we’re in a position of great fortune to be where we’re at and it’s all because of these people that are really, really big fans.”

Kelce’s younger brother Travis Kelce opened up about his life in the spotlight during a June interview with ABC News, telling the outlet, “When you have good family and friends around you, it makes that aspect of life that much easier.

“I’ve always been a very grounded guy, you know, it might not come off like that when I’m playing football, but off the field, I just want to be a genuine person,” the Kansas City Chiefs tight end added. “I try not to get too far down the road, because you just never know what opportunities are going to present themselves.”

While the heightened attention on the Kelce family has brought along new opportunities, not all moments have been positive.

Back in May, the mayor of a town in New Jersey issued a public apology to Jason and Kylie Kelce after a video of an apparent altercation between a woman and Kylie Kelce was circulated online.

In February, Kelce appeared on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast,“The Big Podcast with Shaq,” and discussed some of the “drawbacks” his brother has had to deal with, including having to “completely move out of his house.”

He explained that at his brother’s previous home, “people were just staying by his house,” so he moved for “safety reasons.”

“The first day he moved in the new house, a gated community, somebody knocks on the back door — a window — of the house,” Kelce said.

Francesca Gariano

Francesca Gariano is a New York City-based freelance journalist reporting on culture, entertainment, beauty, lifestyle and wellness. She is a freelance contributor to TODAY.com, where she covers pop culture and breaking news.