Jason Kelce's absence from the ESPN Monday Night Football booth was explained as Pat McAfee voiced one complaint

It may feel like it has been longer, but only since 2022 has ESPN featured two distinct broadcasts for Monday Night Football.

The main product offers the traditional pairing of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, while the alternate ManningCast starring Peyton and Eli Manning brings a relaxed atmosphere filled with special guests, live banter, and expert breakdowns from two former Super Bowl champions, though that alternate broadcast does not run every week of the season.

Prior to kickoff, ESPN sets the stage with the Monday Night Countdown crew hosted by Scott Van Pelt, which since 2024 has featured retired stars Pat McAfee and Jason Kelce. 

Beyond their deep football knowledge, McAfee and Kelce inject an unpredictable, humor-driven personality into the pregame show that sets a distinct tone, winning over plenty of viewers while drawing mixed reactions from traditionalists.

Jason Kelce’s Absence Explained

For this week's thriller between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams, Kelce was conspicuously absent from the studio desk for a second consecutive week due to an international assignment in London.

The former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center spent the past 24 hours in the UK calling Philadelphia’s heart-wrenching 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a dramatic defeat that Philly head coach Nick Sirianni personally took blame for after a costly late-game kickoff strategy backfired.

Kelce has now filled international booth duties in back-to-back games, building off his overseas debut during the Week 4 clash between the Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts.

However, his broadcast performances triggered social media friction after he repeatedly referred to the Eagles as "we" on air. NFL fans openly questioned his journalistic neutrality, noting he previously made a similar slip-up back in Week 3 during Philadelphia's 27-7 loss to Chicago.

While Kelce issued a public apology for his biased phrasing after McAfee playfully called him out on air, the habit persisted into Week 5, prompting broadcast executives to intervene. 

While McAfee occasionally references his former Colts franchise, their gridiron accomplishments diverge, with Kelce having anchored a historic Super Bowl championship roster in Philadelphia.

Heading into Sunday's game, Jeff Dufine, a veteran ESPN producer managing the network's international broadcasts for the first time, revealed to The Philadelphia Inquirer that the production team was actively coaching Kelce to break the habit.

"We’ve tried to get the 'we' out of him," Dufine admitted, underscoring the delicate transition retired icons face when stepping off the gridiron and into the objective media booth.