Is Jason Kelce quietly turning New Heights podcast into NFL’s next Pat McAfee Show? (Image via Getty: Jason Kelce and Pat McAfee)
During the conversation, Jason highlighted Mahomes’ return from the knee injuries he suffered in December 2025 and confidently declared that the Kansas City Chiefs ace quarterback would be on the gridiron. He suffered ACL and LCL injuries in December 2025 and has spent the offseason rigorously working toward a Week 1 comeback. Jason Kelce may be taking his personal New Heights podcast into progressively serious NFL territory. The podcast he hosts with his younger brother, Travis Kelce , has built its identity around football, family, humor, and the type of behind-the-scenes conversations that traditional sports broadcasts can never replicate. But a recent discussion about Patrick Mahomes ’ injury return report has raised a challenging question: Is Jason gradually transforming New Heights from a light-hearted family entertainment podcast into a major NFL media platform? He then asked Travis whether he had seen Mahomes’ trademark mobility during practice. Travis, though, intentionally avoided sharing specific practice details. He instead turned to Kenneth Walker in a Chiefs jersey. That distinction is crucial. Jason was not delivering an official NFL injury report. He was using the New Heights podcast to discuss one of the league’s most popular stories with someone who has firsthand access to Mahomes. Is that breaking too many barriers? Extremely thin line there! Patrick Mahomes’ return is inevitably a blockbuster point of discussion.
Jason said Mahomes “will be out there,” but Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has used more cautious language, saying Mahomes was “most likely” to start Week 1 while leaving ample room for a suspected setback to change that positive outlook. Instead of appearing “overreaching”, the New Heights podcast seems to be evolving into something potentially more valuable: Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines a personality-driven NFL media brand that can discuss major football news without abandoning the humor and family chemistry that made it successful in the first place. It has the much-coveted “personal” factor/angle.
Nevertheless, Jason’s wording on the New Heights podcast was reportedly stronger than the team’s official public language. Now that perhaps makes Jason’s comments better described as confident analysis and insider discussion, rather than breaking news. And that may in reality be the strength of New Heights. Jason may not need to compete directly with traditional NFL reporters. His advantage is probably direct access to Travis and an understanding of what life inside an NFL locker room really looks like. The comparison to Pat McAfee, however, is impossible to ignore. Pat McAfee built a highly successful sports-media brand around personality, player access, news, interviews, humor, and strong opinions. Jason appears to be exploring some of the same territory, although there is no evidence that he is deliberately trying to copy-paste or walk the same path as McAfee. There is also no evidence that Jason is using New Heights to secure another broadcasting contract. He already has a major ESPN role, including NFL studio and game assignments. The more reasonable interpretation is that Jason understands the commercial power of his voice. He has the credibility of a former NFL player, the reach of New Heights, and an active NFL player sitting beside him every week to reportedly give him insider information. Maybe not yet. If anything, the Patrick Mahomes’ injury conversation just shows how the New Heights podcast can occupy an uncommon space between entertainment and sports journalism. Jason asks questions a traditional broadcaster might, and Travis offers the perspective of someone inside the Kansas City Chiefs’ locker room. So, again, there comes the thin line! As for Jason sounding like McAfee? Jason Kelce may never become Pat McAfee – and there is no evidence that he wants to. But if New Heights continues blending insider access, NFL analysis, and entertainment, the comparison will eventually become impossible to ignore. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.