Jason Kelce’s Shirtless Celebration For Travis Set A New Standard For Sibling Love

When Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce scored a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during Sunday night’s playoff, obviously there was going to be celebration. For starters, this is football we’re talking about, so obviously any touchdown is one worth celebrating (at least for the team who scored it). Secondly, these are playoff games, so that touchdown helped nudge the Chiefs ever closer to the Super Bowl. But one celebrant seemed especially excited about the touchdown: Travis’ older brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. Jason could be seen primally roaring from the VIP box at Highmark Stadium before hopping out of it to mingle with folks in the stands. Though he was shirtless in the 20-degree weather, it looks as though he was riding the high of his brother’s success and wasn’t too bothered by the cold. And though I’m not a football fan, watching this little turn of events warmed even my frozen, cynical heart and made me think “Oh. This is what the self-proclaimed ‘boy moms’ are all excited about.”

As the mom of one son and one daughter, I’ve never understood the “boy mom”/ “girl mom” identity marker. Kids are kids, parents are parents, and I don’t get what anyone is getting out of making their kids gender such a big deal one way or the other. But seeing Jason become a meme in the hyper-masculine excitement of cheering on his little brother as he played the most hyper-masculine sport the US of A has to offer? It was a moment of clarity. “Oh! This is the kind of relationship between sons that parents of boys observe or strive for. OK, yeah, I get that because this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and I don’t even like football. Also if my son did this for my daughter, I would simply never recover in the best possible way.”

Donna Kelce, Jason and Travis’ mom, was briefly visible in the box behind Jason, gesturing toward her eldest as she smiled and laughed. I have to imagine that Mama Kelce was just as happy to see her oldest son showing such effusive love for his littler brother as she was to see her baby score a touchdown. Whomst among us doesn’t swoon to see her children show love for one another? Everyone talks about siblings as “built in best friends” but let’s be honest: for most folks, even those among us who adore siblings, that’s not always the case. But to have adult children and see the bond you hoped to instill in them? That’s gotta feel great.

And it’s adorable to see that the feeling is very much mutual.

In a postgame interview, CBS sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala asked Travis about a “certain shirtless fan.” “Does your brother ever surprise you?”

“My brother was shirtless?” Travis chuckled. “Nah, that doesn’t surprise me one bit ... I love that guy. Every time we’re not the field together we’re always rooting for each other.”

OMG, Kelce brothers, please never stop because we’re all extremely here for it.