New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Chiefs' Streak Ends, Mahomes Injury, Rivers Reactions, Eagles Blowout & Playoff Predictions | EP 170

December 17, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Travis Kelce expressed deep disappointment over the Chiefs' playoff elimination following the loss to the Chargers, which was compounded by Patrick Mahomes' ACL injury. 
  • The brothers previewed upcoming holiday content for the 'New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce' podcast, including a 'Home Alone' film review with Kylie Kelce and an episode featuring Paul Rudd. 
  • The hosts discussed the Eagles' dominant 31-0 shutout victory over the Raiders, emphasizing the need for the Eagles' offense to continue establishing the run game heading into the postseason. 
  • The speakers are highly anticipating the Rams vs. Seahawks game due to its impact on the NFC's number one seed race, and they are also keenly interested in watching Phillip Rivers' return. 
  • One speaker, relating to being a Jets fan, is actively rooting for the Ravens to win a specific game to prevent the Patriots from securing the number one overall seed. 
  • The hosts concluded the episode by awarding Stamps of the Week to a disciplined cow that resisted a hard count and to Phillip Rivers for his performance in his return. 

Segments

Elbow Injury Update
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Jason Kelsey is dealing with a loose piece of cartilage stuck in his elbow joint, preventing him from bending his arm fully.
  • Summary: Jason Kelsey cannot bend his elbow or touch his head due to a piece of cartilage floating in the joint. He is trying to avoid surgery, but the issue requires cleaning out the joint. Travis urged him to get the issue addressed immediately.
Episode Introduction and Topics
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(00:00:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode will cover the Chiefs’ playoff elimination, the Eagles’ blowout win over the Raiders, and Philip Rivers’ return to starting.
  • Summary: The hosts welcomed listeners to the episode of ‘New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce,’ sponsored by Allstate. Key topics include the Chiefs’ playoff hopes ending, the Eagles’ performance, and commentary on Philip Rivers starting for the Colts. They also announced upcoming holiday content drops.
Reese’s Holiday Candy Debate
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(00:01:26)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts debated whether Reese’s Trees are superior to Reese’s Pumpkins, leaning towards the Trees having a better peanut butter to chocolate ratio.
  • Summary: The ‘New News’ segment, sponsored by Reese’s Trees, initiated a debate on holiday candy preferences. Travis and Jason agreed that both Trees and Pumpkins offer a favorable peanut butter to chocolate ratio. Jason ultimately concluded that Reese’s Trees are slightly better than the Pumpkins.
Chiefs’ Playoff Elimination Reaction
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(00:03:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The Chiefs were eliminated from the postseason for the first time since 2014 following the loss to the Chargers, which included Patrick Mahomes suffering an ACL tear.
  • Summary: Travis described the loss of Patrick Mahomes to an ACL tear in the fourth quarter as devastating, especially after fighting through other injuries in a critical game. For the first time since 2014, the Chiefs will miss the postseason, a decade-long streak ending. Travis emphasized the team’s professional integrity requires them to fight hard in the remaining three games with Gardner Minshew.
Mahomes Injury Outlook and Team Mentality
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(00:10:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Patrick Mahomes’ ACL surgery went well, and he is expected to be ready for Week 1 of next season, reinforcing his reputation as a fearless warrior.
  • Summary: The surgery for Mahomes was successful, and he is expected to be ready for the start of the next season. Travis stressed that Mahomes is wired as a fearless warrior who will battle through the recovery. The team’s mentality for the final three games is to play with integrity and give everything for Gardner Minshew.
Chiefs vs. Chargers Game Wrap-up
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(00:10:54)
  • Key Takeaway: The Chiefs’ next opponent is the Tennessee Titans, a team playing hard despite a poor record, featuring defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.
  • Summary: The Chiefs face the 2-12 Titans next, and Travis noted that Tennessee is playing hard and possesses defensive linemen like Jeffery Simmons who can disrupt the game. The focus will be on slowing Simmons down to allow Gardner Minshew comfort in the pocket. A mic’d-up clip showed Travis swapping jerseys with Chargers safety Derwin James, whom Travis highly respects.
Eagles’ Dominant Raiders Win
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(00:16:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The Eagles’ 31-0 victory over the Raiders showcased an effective, balanced offense establishing the run game and an all-time performance from the defense.
  • Summary: Jason praised the Eagles’ offense for establishing the run game early, noting seven runs on the first series, which is crucial for their formula moving forward. Defensively, they held the Raiders to only 70 yards of offense, demonstrating the team’s potential danger in the postseason. Jalen Hurts responded to criticism by stating, ‘Everybody needs to remember where I came from and how I’m built.’
NFC Playoff Race and Predictions
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(00:34:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The Rams are currently viewed as the best team in the NFC, with the Seahawks and Eagles also being formidable contenders, while the NFC East division title drought is noted.
  • Summary: The Rams and Seahawks are seen as the primary contenders in the NFC West, while the 49ers’ performance despite injuries is acknowledged. The Eagles have a chance to become the first back-to-back NFC East winners in 20 years if they win or the Cowboys lose their upcoming Saturday game. The hosts expressed a desire for more exciting, less predictable NFL halftime shows, contrasting dull acts with a vintage, dangerous mutton-busting segment.
Philip Rivers’ Return Analysis
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(00:25:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Philip Rivers, starting for the Colts after five years off, performed respectably against the Seahawks, providing his team a chance to win and delivering an inspiring message about courage.
  • Summary: Rivers went 18 of 27 for 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his first start since 2020, giving the Colts an opportunity to win against a strong Seahawks defense. He was notably ‘accordioned’ by the Seahawks defense on one play but showed courage, which he later highlighted in a speech to his former high school team. The hosts noted that Rivers has stayed around the game enough to maintain a live arm.
Taco Authenticity Debate
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(00:40:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Jason expressed skepticism about the authenticity of Midwest tacos, particularly those served at a Kansas City spot named Rudy’s (or similar), preferring street-style tacos from places like LA’s Mariscos Jalisco.
  • Summary: Jason criticized the deep-fried shrimp taco he had in LA, prompting Travis to invite him to try authentic Kansas City tacos served from a truck on foil with gallon jugs of salsa. Jason argued that authentic tacos originate as street food, not strip mall fare, and vowed to give the KC tacos an honest assessment despite his skepticism.
Playoff Seeding Predictions
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(00:48:22)
  • Key Takeaway: The speaker is highly confident the Ravens will make the playoffs but uncertain about the outcome of a specific game that could eliminate another team.
  • Summary: One speaker expressed shock if the Ravens missed the playoffs, but noted that another team could be left out of the dance if they lose their upcoming game. The speaker also admitted to rooting for the Ravens to prevent the Patriots from getting the number one overall seed, relating this to being a Jets fan. The quick turnaround of a successful rebuild (less than 25 years) is noted as being possible with a well-functioning organization, good coaching, and drafting a good quarterback.
Anticipated NFL Games
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(00:49:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The Rams vs. Seahawks Thursday night game is the most anticipated matchup due to the number one seed being up for grabs between division opponents on a short week.
  • Summary: The Rams vs. Seahawks game was highlighted as the most exciting matchup of the week. The speaker also expressed excitement to watch whatever Phillip Rivers does, calling his return a phenomenal storyline, noting Rivers chose to play against top defenses. A rumor was mentioned that Shanahan considered calling Phillip Rivers to play the Super Bowl if Brock Purdy’s arm had been injured in the NFC Championship game.
DraftKings Pick 6 Promotion
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(00:51:02)
  • Key Takeaway: New DraftKings customers can receive $50 in Pick 6 credits by signing up with the code New Heights after making a $5 initial payment.
  • Summary: DraftKings Pick 6 is introduced as an easy-to-play fantasy pick’em game available in most states, requiring users to pick more or less on two or more player stats for a chance to win cash. Payouts increase based on the quality of picks, and users can win more if their set outperforms others with the same number of picks. The new customer offer provides $50 in non-withdrawable Pick 6 credits for a $5 initial payment, using the promo code New Heights.
Stamp of the Week Awards
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(00:52:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Deion Dawkins received a Stamp of the Week for a heads-up move involving letting his belly hang on an opponent to avoid a holding penalty, while Phillip Rivers earned the other award for his performance.
  • Summary: The Stamp of the Week segment, sponsored by Amazon, featured a clip of a disciplined cow that did not fall for a hard count. One stamp was awarded to Deion Dawkins for using body weight rather than hands to stay on top of an opponent, which avoids a holding penalty. Travis Kelce gave his Stamp of the Week to Phillip Rivers for showing he still has the ability to perform well at age 44.
Upcoming Show Schedule
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(00:53:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Upcoming content includes a Home Alone Film Club this Friday, an episode with Paul Rudd on Monday, and a Holiday Spectacular with Kylie next Wednesday.
  • Summary: Listeners are reminded to subscribe to the New Heights YouTube channel and follow the show on social media for clips. New episodes are available ad-free by joining Wondery Plus. The immediate schedule includes the Home Alone Film Club this Friday, Paul Rudd on Monday, and the Holiday Spectacular featuring Kylie next Wednesday.
Pokemon Card Segment
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(00:54:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Jason Kelce revealed he purchased a pack of Pokemon cards, admitting he only recognizes the original 151 from the Red and Blue video games.
  • Summary: The hosts transitioned into examining a pack of Pokemon cards Jason Kelce recently bought, which he admitted he had never seen before. Jason stated that if a Pokemon is not one of the original 151 from the Red or Blue games, it is not ‘canon’ to him. The segment concluded with the introduction of a new segment called ‘Sleeve It or Leave It’ for evaluating the cards.