Opinionated former NFL player-turned-podcast host Jason Kelce made a shocking revelation during the Aug. 28 episode of his podcast, “New Heights.”
The retired Eagles center revealed that he questioned if Simone Biles had chops to give a medal winning performance at the Olympic games due to her age.
On the premiere episode of his and his brother Travis Kelce’s Amazon Wondery show, Jason, 36, admitted he doubted how pint-size powerhouse, wondering how she would fare at 27 against younger gymnasts.
He was clearly wrong and admitted he had to eat his doubts, which came years before Biles suited up.
Reflecting on his experience in Paris, where attended the 2024 Olympics with his wife Kylie, Jason shared, “We watched, like, every girl go and do the floor routine and Simone Biles was the last person and I’m like, you know she’s getting older. She’s a little bit … we’ll see how she looks.”
Travis, his co-host and younger brother, was quick to challenge his brother’s skepticism, expressing disbelief.
“There’s no way you really thought this,” the 2024 Kansas City Sportsman of the Year said.
Jason did not shrink on what he thought, explaining, “I did think that, because gymnasts don’t … when you look at the age of gymnasts, they’re usually not in their mid 20s to late 20s. They’re usually young. They usually don’t age and sustain well.
However, Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl winning boyfriend defended Biles, stating, “I don’t know why, I just automatically assumed she’s the anomaly.”
Did Simone Biles just fly 12 ft high?!? 😱 https://t.co/cHnW40w5WO
— BeckyIB (@BeckyIB) June 29, 2024
Despite his initial doubts, Jason swiftly agreed and acquiesced to Biles’ extraordinary talent.
“She is the anomaly because she jumped higher than everybody and it wasn’t even close,”
Jason admitted, clearly embarrassed by how wrong he had been.
“Like, you watch all these people do the floor routine, then it’s Simone’s at the end and within the first three seconds you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s different,’” He recalled. “She just jumped five feet higher than everybody else that has done this.”
Biles, known for her jaw-dropping athleticism, has become famous for soaring 12 feet in the air during her floor routine. Her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she secured multiple medals, once again solidified her status as a legend in the sport.
However, Jason’s comments didn’t sit well with fans, who took to social media to defend Biles and criticize Kelce’s logic.
One fan tweeted, “Age is only a number. She proved she can compete with the best.”
Another X user questioned, “Why is he speaking on black successful people?”
Why is he speaking on black successful people?
— Rihanna’s apologist🇬🇧🇬🇧 (@BarbieKim678157) August 28, 2024
Others were less forgiving, with one person, writing, “2 Morons with a podcast. The dumbing down of America.” Another on Instagram said, “He has no idea what he is talking about.”
This isn’t the first time the Kelce brothers have made headlines for their comments about a Biles related topic.
Earlier in the year, Travis sparked controversy when he sarcastically said on their podcast that he didn’t know how good Biles’ husband Jonathan Owens’ skill set was after the Bears player said didn’t know who she was when the two started dating.
While Travis was trying to take up for Biles in his comments, her fans didn’t like that either.
Despite these moments of doubt, Travis made sure to praise Biles for her resilience and record-breaking achievements on the recent episode.
“It’s such a feel-good story knowing the past and everything that she’s had to go through and just to feel confident and getting back up there mentally,” Travis said. “It’s the best, man. So happy for her. And America is so proud of her, man.”
Jason agreed, highlighting the significance of Team USA’s female gymnasts winning gold in the team competition, calling it the “highlight for the Olympics.”
Biles’ performance in Paris was nothing short of historic.
She took home gold medals in the team finals, the individual all-around finals, and the vault finals. She also won a silver medal for her floor routine, making her the most decorated American gymnast in history, with 11 Olympic medals and an additional 30 World Championship medals.
6 year old me would be proud 🥹🤎🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/oEV3Btr2Of
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 27, 2024
