PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles center and unofficial NFL Goodwill ambassador Jason Kelce on Friday issued an apology to the owner of a Kansas City Chiefs-themed luchador mask he "commandeered" during Sunday's post-game celebration.
In a Friday post on X, Kelce promised to reunite the mask with its rightful owner, a Dallas 8th grader named Elijah Smith.
Kelce said he was celebrating the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory with his younger brother Travis, Kansas City's starting tight end and the world's most-famous Swiftie, when he found the red-and-yellow pro wrestling mask on the dance floor. He scooped it up, put it on his head, and was seen dancing in it in several viral videos posted to social media in the days after the game.
This week on his popular "New Heights" podcast, which he hosts with his brother, Kelce said finding the mask "just transformed the night."
But Smith and his family told the Dallas TV station NBCDFW that he gave Kelce the mask for a photo opportunity, and were not expecting him to disappear with it. Smith's family, all gigantic Chiefs fans, said they'd like the mask back. They're hoping it will bring the Chiefs luck next season.
On Friday, after learning of the family's request, Kelce tweeted his apology and promised that Elijah would soon get the mask back.