“ABSOLUTE TRASH”: Jason Kelce Torches Kid Rock’s Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, Calling It the “Worst in History” and Igniting a Cultural Firestorm
SANTA CLARA — JASON KELCE: Doesn’t hold back on Kid Rock’s Super Bowl LX halftime performance..
“That has to be the worst halftime show I’ve ever seen.” — Jason Kelce
The Super Bowl–winning NFL star didn’t mince words after Kid Rock’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, calling it one of the worst he’s ever seen.
Overreaction… or did he say what a lot of fans were thinking?
The Show That Crashed the Internet
Super Bowl LX was supposed to be a celebration of “American Grit.” The NFL, in a bid to appeal to a “heartland” demographic, took a massive gamble by booking the rap-rock outlaw, Kid Rock, as the headliner. It was a choice that polarized the public the moment it was announced.
But no one expected the chaos that unfolded at halftime.
It wasn’t just the pyrotechnics, which were excessive even by NFL standards. It wasn’t just the confusing medley that jumped from “Bawitdaba” to a slow, acoustic country ballad, and back to “All Summer Long” with jarring transitions.
It was the messy, chaotic, and frankly bizarre energy of the performance.
Audio issues plagued the first three minutes. Dancers dressed in what looked like dystopian biker gear missed cues. And at one point, Kid Rock stopped the music to deliver a breathless, rambling monologue about “freedom” that was drowned out by feedback.
The stadium was confused. The internet was stunned.
But Jason Kelce was furious.
The Podcast Meltdown
The former Philadelphia Eagles center, now arguably the biggest voice in sports media, was livestreaming a special “Super Bowl Watch Party” edition of his hit podcast, New Heights.
For the first half of the game, Kelce was his usual jovial self—drinking beers, cheering for big hits, and analyzing blocking schemes.
Then, halftime started.
As Kid Rock descended from the ceiling on a giant, sparkling eagle that seemed to malfunction halfway down, Kelce’s face went blank. He stopped drinking. He stopped laughing.
He watched in silence for twelve minutes.
When the final firework popped and the feed cut to a commercial, Travis Kelce (joining remotely) asked, “So… what did you think?”
Jason didn’t hesitate. He leaned into the microphone, his eyes dead serious.
“That has to be the worst halftime show I’ve ever seen,” Jason declared.
The chat room exploded.
“I’m not trying to be a hater,” Kelce continued, his voice rising in volume. “I love energy. I love rock and roll. I’ve partied with the best of them. But that? That was a panic attack set to music. It was sloppy. It was lazy. It felt like watching a bad karaoke night at a dive bar, except it cost 50 million dollars to produce.”
“It Disrespected the Game”
What made Kelce’s critique land so hard wasn’t just the insult—it was the reasoning.
Jason Kelce is viewed as the “everyman” of football. He isn’t a snob. He is the guy who jumps onto tables shirtless in Buffalo. If anyone should have enjoyed a rowdy, beer-soaked Kid Rock performance, it was Jason Kelce.
That’s why his rejection of it was so damning.
“The Super Bowl is the pinnacle,” Kelce argued, slamming his hand on the desk. “Players bleed to get there. Coaches sleep in their offices for six months to get there. You owe it to the game to bring excellence. Prince brought excellence. Bruno Mars brought excellence. This? This was an ego trip. It disrespected the stage.”
He went on to dissect the technical failures, pointing out the lack of choreography and the “lazy” vocals.
“If I played center the way he sang ‘Cowboy,’ I would have been cut in the first quarter,” Kelce quipped.
The “Overreaction” Debate
Within minutes, the clip of Kelce’s rant had more views than the halftime show itself on X (formerly Twitter).
The reaction was split down the middle, igniting a cultural civil war.
Team Kelce:
Millions of viewers felt validated.
“Jason said what we were all too polite to say,” wrote one viral tweet. “The audio was trash, the set list was dated, and the vibes were off. Thank you, Jason, for keeping it real.”
Music critics largely agreed, with Rolling Stone already dubbing the performance “A train wreck of historic proportions.”
Team Kid Rock:
However, a fierce defense mounted from Kid Rock’s loyal fanbase. They accused Kelce of going “Hollywood” and losing touch with his roots.
“Kelce is just mad because it wasn’t Taylor Swift,” commented one user. “Kid Rock is raw. He’s real America. Kelce has been hanging out with the elites too long.”
The NFL’s Nightmare
For the NFL, Kelce’s comments are a PR disaster.
Roger Goodell and the league office have spent years trying to curate halftime shows that appeal to the widest possible audience without causing scandal. They pivoted from the polished pop of the 2010s to the hip-hop legends of 2022, and now, they tried to pivot to “Heartland Rock.”
having the most popular figure in the sport—a future Hall of Famer who defines the current NFL culture—call their product “trash” destroys the credibility of the booking.
“When Jason Kelce speaks, the demographic the NFL covets listens,” said a sports marketing executive. “He is the King of the tailgaters. If he says the beer is flat, nobody drinks it. If he says the show is bad, the show is a failure.”
The Legacy of the “Worst Show Ever”
As the fourth quarter began, the game itself seemed to fade into the background. The story of Super Bowl LX had already been written. It wasn’t about the touchdowns. It was about the halftime disaster.
Jason Kelce, sitting in his home studio, likely didn’t intend to start a war. He was just being honest. He was just being the guy who demands effort, heart, and execution—whether it’s on the offensive line or on the main stage.
Kid Rock may have brought the pyrotechnics.
He may have brought the dancers.
He may have brought the attitude.
But according to Jason Kelce, he forgot to bring the talent.
“I hope the second half is better,” Kelce sighed, opening another beer as the game resumed. “Because I need to wash my eyes out after that.”
The verdict is in. And in the court of public opinion, Judge Kelce just slammed the gavel.
Guilty of being terrible.
