ESPN may be trying to turn Jason Kelce into Jason Kimmel.
John Ourand of Puck reports this week that ESPN is in talks with the retired former Philadelphia Eagles center Kelce for him to host his own late-night show. Ourand adds that the show wouldn’t be a nightly show, nor would it feature highlights or recaps. Instead, the show would air once a week on Fridays in January, possibly featuring other athletes and celebrities too.
The 36-year-old Kelce announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this year and subsequently joined ESPN, where he now appears on “Monday Night Countdown.” Kelce has recently enjoyed some other successes in the media realm as well, including getting a lucrative deal for the podcast that he co-hosts with his younger brother Travis.
We know Kelce has a big and booming personality, which he has already showcased on the ESPN airwaves. But a late-night program by ESPN, which already sounds experimental enough, would likely require a host who is both charismatic but can also interact with other guests without grandstanding. It remains to be seen if Kelce, who is still getting his sea legs under him as a full-time media personality, can ultimately be that guy for them.
