Jaguars: Jason Kelce’s comments about Jacksonville are off-base

Jason Kelce has been one of the best centers in the NFL. He’s also one of the most prominent figures in Philadelphia sports. However, that doesn’t give them the right to take uncalled shots at the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville.

Kelce spoke to reporters Wednesday and talked about how players are going to be loved and appreciated if they play hard. While explaining what it takes to thrive in the City of Brotherly Love, the conversation took an unexpected turn. The Eagles center said it’s easier to play in Philadelphia than in a miserable place like Jacksonville, where nobody cares, via Tim McManus of ESPN.

"If you’re struggling, you’re fighting, and you’re really trying, they’re still going to respect you. That’s what I think most guys miss. I really don’t think this is a hard place to play at all, to be honest with you. I think a hard place to play is a miserable place like Jacksonville where nobody cares."

Wait a minute! There was no reason to bring up the city of Jacksonville. How does Kelce know nobody cares there? He might have acquaintances from there that don’t care but that doesn’t mean the whole region is uninterested. It’s true that the Jaguars haven’t been very good but why not single them out instead of the city? Duval fans are passionate, so either Kelce doesn’t know what he’s talking about or he felt like dropping figurative nukes in the city of Jacksonville.

Jason Kelce doesn’t know much about the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville.

Kelce was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and went to college in Cincinnati. Maybe he’s been to Jacksonville but he doesn’t seem to know the city. It’s easy to get carried away, and fans sometimes behave inappropriately. That doesn’t excuse his comment though.

The Pro Bowl center won’t probably apologize for what he said, and his comments may soon become a footnote on the news cycle. However, there’s not much the city of Jacksonville and the Jaguars can do. In fact, they are better off ignoring the noise. After all, they have way more important things to do, like building off of their victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 6 and focusing on getting ready for their Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

It might take a while before the Jaguars turn things around but the early results of all their hard work are encouraging. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is playing like the top overall pick in the draft and James Robinson looks like a top-5 running back. Even if the Jags aren’t great right now, they are giving fans reasons to be optimistic.

The Jaguars will continue to be the target of jokes as long as they keep losing. Just like most situations in professional sports, winning cures a lot. If they start winning often, everyone will see them in a more positive light, they will get more prime time games, and will be on the news because of what they do on the field, not off of it.