Jason Kelce shows his support for Eagles OC Kevin Patullo after loss: “The players didn’t make the plays”
The ex-Eagles star made his feelings clear after the recent loss.
In the wake of another damaging playoff elimination, Eagles legend Jason Kelce stepped out into the spotlight as he defended offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who has come under fire in the past 24 hours.
The Eagles’ bid to repeat as Super Bowl champions came to an abrupt end with a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round, sending shockwaves throughout the NFL.
Critics were quick to single out Patullo, whose first season directing plays saw Philadelphia’s offence fall off a cliff compared with its title-winning campaign the year before.
Speaking on ESPN’s Monday night show, the former player spoke passionately about his former teammate in the coaching ranks: “I know everyone is out on Kevin Patullo,” he said. “I happen to know the guy, I love Kevin Patullo, and I know he’s a great coach.“
"[The Eagles] had their chances to win that game yesterday, and the players didn't make the plays!"@JasonKelce acknowledges the coaching issues throughout the year, but holds the players accountable for losing against the 49ers 😳 pic.twitter.com/EiBdITdGXs
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 13, 2026
“It wasn’t the best performance... the players didn’t make the plays”
“I know it wasn’t the best performance this year offensively – they had the number one paid offense in the league, they were mediocre across the board. That’s unacceptable. But they had their chances to win that game yesterday, and the players didn’t make the plays.”
Several players, including Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata, made it clear that Patullo was an easy target for fans and the media. “I’ll say it like this: It’s easier to blame somebody who gets paid less than your starting people,” he said. “Everybody knows that. Everyone in this f*cking locker room, even you guys know that. But the story makes better sense if you’re pointing at somebody else and not the player.”
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, meanwhile, declined to talk about Patullo’s future, saying it was “too soon” to discuss whether the OC should return next season.
"Kevin Patullo's ass needs to be gone."
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 12, 2026
@MSpears96 feels strongly about the Eagles offensive play-calling this year 😬 pic.twitter.com/5nAFUxLunA
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