Jason Kelce's Wife Defends Him After He Was Dad Shamed by the Internet: 'Just Say You Don't Have Toddlers'
The internet came for Jason Kelce, and his wife was not having it.
After the NFL and Philidelphia Eagles team shared a joint Reel on Instagram of the center playing with two of his daughters during training camp, the comments filled with criticism over how exactly Kelce was playing with Wyatt, 3, and Elliotte, 2.
The video, captioned, “@jason.kelce always stays late after practice to play with his daughters ????,” captures the professional football player laying on the field and lobbing balls for his girls to run after. He tosses one ball for Wyatt, who brings it back to him, then he throws it again for Elliotte to do the same.
Over the commentators’ voices, you can hear Kelce counting as each little girl runs away from him and back with the football — a pretty clear indication that the toddlers were racing to see who could retrieve the ball faster. Because, you know, toddlers.
Yet in the comments, people were quick to criticize Kelce for “playing fetch” with his daughters. “What about this makes him a great dad?” questioned a hater, while someone else felt the need to comment, “Dude is laying down throwing a ball and telling his daughters fetch ????.” Similarly worded criticisms go on and on, and Kylie Kelce was annoyed enough by the negative narrative about her husband that she took to her Instagram Story to correct it.
Reposting the Reel, the mom of three wrote, “People in these comments saying ‘He’s playing fetch with his kids like they are dogs!'” Alongside a “silly goose” GIF, she continued, “Just say you don’t have toddlers. If you listen, you can hear him counting. So technically, they are racing.”
Fans of the Eagles player defended him in the comments of the video as well, with one person writing, “He is NOT playing ‘fetch’ w/ his daughters. He’s doing what his kids see him doing at practice. Throwing a football around, grabbing it, picking it up and running w/ it. Giving his children UNDIVIDED ATTENTION from their FATHER.” They added, “It’s a GREAT thing that Daddy turns what Daddy does into an age-appropriate activity to share himself with them.”
Another day, another instance of the internet creating a weird false narrative within the limited context of social media. Ah, modern society.
Before you go, check out these celebrity kiddos who love cheering on their NFL dads.