Jason Kelce hopes to return Super Bowl luchador mask to Dallas middle schooler
If Jason Kelce has any plans on becoming a luchador, he will need to find his own mask and not use the one he purloined after Super Bowl LVIII. That’s because that mask belongs to a Texas middle schooler, and he wants it back.
And Kelce, upon learning that one Elijah Smith of Dallas would like this possession returned, has pledged to get it back to its original owner. Thus begins Operation Get Elijah His Mask Back, as Kelce dubbed it.
“I appreciate everyone bringing this to my attention, and look forward to uniting Elijah with his mask once again. Your mask indeed brings great fortune, I owe you big time, sorry it was commandeered,” Kelce said on Twitter/X after seeing a story about its true owner.
Kelce was seen wearing the red and yellow luchador mask, along with a Kansas City Chiefs T-shirt and red and yellow-checkered overalls, as he celebrated with his younger brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Super Bowl champions.
Various videos from afterparties showed Kelce walking to a party behind his younger brother and his world-famous girlfriend, Taylor Swift, or up on stage hyping up the crowd along with various DJs, such as Marshmello.
Kelce, speaking on the New Heights podcast with his brother, said that he “transformed” into a next-level partygoer after donning the mask.
And Smith, who comes from a family of Chiefs fans, has apparently worn the mask to multiple Super Bowls, including Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix last season, where Jason and Travis faced off. After that game, Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie signed it.
After wandering off with it after taking a picture with Smith at some after party at this most recent Super Bowl, the Smith’s have one ask of Kelce on top of returning the mask: He could sign it, too, even though they’re not Eagles fans.
It might’ve been an unintended side quest, but Smith seems on track to get his mask back, and the lore behind it is even greater than before.
The elder Kelce brother is likely done playing professional football
When watching the tears in Kelce’s eyes as time expired on what could potentially have been his final game in the National Football League, it was pretty clear that his NFL career was likely done, even if he still hasn’t officially retired. And while many fans watching that thought he was likely finished for good, there is still a small glimmer of uncertainty since Kelce has not officially retired yet.
Eagles fans are still clinging onto the small glimmer of hope that he’ll come back for one more year with the franchise. Earlier this week, one of his former Philadelphia teammates basically took that glimmer and shut the window on it. In a recent podcast with John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata basically said there’s no chance Kelce is playing again.
“There’s no shot,” Mailata said.