Jason Kelce apologized for calling the Eagles “we” on Monday Night Football, but Ryan Clark is adamant his former colleague had nothing to be sorry for.
Clark, whose tenure as one of ESPN’s marquee NFL analysts ended abruptly with his layoff this summer, took to X on Tuesday to rally behind Kelce, one day after the Eagles legend caught himself mid-analysis during ESPN’s halftime show and apologized to Bears fans for repeatedly referring to Philadelphia as “we.”
Jason Kelce had to apologize on TV for constantly referring to the Eagles as, “We.” 😂 🦅 pic.twitter.com/pbdlbzkIGx
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) September 29, 2026
“I’m trying to mind my own, but hell yea it’s ‘We’ Future Hall of Famer!! You’re a legend @JasonKelce. Blood, sweat, tears, & glory in Philly. No one can take that away. You can still do your job the right way! Bump anyone saying differently.”
I’m trying to mind my own , but hell yea it’s “We” Future Hall of Famer!! You’re a legend @JasonKelce. Blood, sweat, tears, & glory in Philly. No one can take that away.
You can still do your job the right way! Bump anyone saying differently.
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) September 29, 2026
Kelce’s slip came with the Eagles trailing Chicago by three (10-7) at halftime, moments after Jalen Hurts punched in a touchdown just before the break. As Kelce mapped out how Philadelphia could claw its way back into the game, Pat McAfee interjected to flag his colleague’s choice of pronoun, and a sheepish Kelce promptly apologized to viewers in Chicago before wondering aloud, “Did I say we?” as Scott Van Pelt sent the broadcast to commercial. His optimism proved misplaced, as the Bears and third-string quarterback Case Keenum pulled away for a lopsided 27-7 rout at Soldier Field.
That said, few players have a more legitimate claim to the word than Kelce, who spent his entire 13-year career in Philadelphia, anchored the offensive line of a Super Bowl champion, and collected six first-team All-Pro selections before retiring.
Clark and Kelce were colleagues on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown until the network unceremoniously jettisoned Clark this summer, blindsiding him with news of his layoff during a commercial break on NFL Live after OutKick preempted the announcement. The former Steelers safety has since accused ESPN of orchestrating his exit to humiliate him, and while he remains bound by a non-compete with the network through the end of February, he has insisted he won’t return to network television unless he’s granted the freedom to be himself.
In the meantime, Clark has been constructing an independent media operation of his own. He launched The Pivot Sports, a weekly live NFL show produced in partnership with NFL Films, and his production company, Pivot25 Productions, recently landed former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz as an investor and strategic partner.
Unshackled from ESPN, Clark no longer has to weigh how his candor will land with network executives, and his message to Kelce made clear that he believes loyalty to a former team and professionalism on the air can coexist.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.