One call. That’s all it took to change how the final game of Week 3 turned out. And just like a lot of NFL fans on social media, Jason Kelce wasn’t happy. The former Eagles center has never been shy about calling out things he thinks are ruining football, and this time was no different. 

On a recent episode of “New Heights,” the podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, he turned his frustration toward a tactic he says officials need to stop rewarding entirely: flopping.

“Whenever I see a guy’s arm go limp and fly in the air, I think it should be mandatory that you don’t call it,” Jason said on the podcast. “I’m over on the flops. Whenever the ball goes past them, they just throw it up to try and get a late holding call. That s*** is stupid. If you go limp wrist on a football field, you don’t get a call. That should be the NFL’s official stance. Limp wrist, no call. You’ve negated the call.”

Now we can see why Kelce was angry. During Monday Night Football, the Denver Broncos were on the Rams’ 11-yard line in the fourth quarter. On a 3rd & 6, Nix tried to send a short pass to the right for Dez Bryant, only for it to be intercepted by Josh Wallace. 

Just as Kelce said on his show, when Bryant went down, his hands appeared to limp from an apparent shove. Officials threw the flag for defensive pass interference, giving the Broncos a fresh set of downs.

As NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay put it at the time, “As we get towards the end, we actually see the receiver grab the defender and pull in on him. I don’t see the defender do anything that significantly hinders the receiver on this play. Even the first part. There’s just hands on him; he doesn’t do anything with them.”

The call became highly debated, and Bryant even admitted he benefited from the practice players around the league used. “I did sell it just enough, you know what I’m saying, to get the flag. He definitely gave me a little nudge that I felt, and I felt like I couldn’t get the ball, so it was either the ball or call, and we ended up getting the call… I mean, it’s something that a lot of people do in this league, so kind of used it to my advantage.”

That’s where we run into the problem. That call was enough for the Broncos to turn the game. Had the interception stood, the Rams could have easily chewed down the clock for a win. And even though Kelce’s rant didn’t say it directly, there’s a larger consequence here for the league, as Sean McVay rightly pointed out. 

“They agreed with me. Whether it was or wasn’t right, that wasn’t the point. The call was made, and that was what the call was. What I am interested in is if there’s any sort of feedback that says, this is in alignment with what would be correctly officiated as a DPI. Here’s the coaching points that you want your DBs or your back end guys to be able to have. That’s the only thing that I’m really worried about. That game’s over with.” 

At the moment, the NFL does not have a blanket rule covering players who exaggerate contact to draw a penalty, unlike sports such as basketball. It does, however, have a specific rule for kicking plays. Under Rule 12, Section 3, a punter, placekicker, or holder can be penalized for pretending to be roughed or run into by a defender. That is treated as unsportsmanlike conduct and results in a 15-yard penalty.

And it’s not a rare problem either. The issue of flopping has come up at the league level as well. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about it in February 2025 and said the committee could revisit the subject.

“It depends a little on what your definition of flopping is,” Goodell said. “That has not been a significant issue for us. The competition committee has talked about that in the past. They probably could talk about it in the future.”

Jason’s rant had a more radical solution, but a possible penalty could change the way such calls go in the future. And even though his brother Travis laughed it off on the podcast, he knows firsthand how flopping controversies go. 

During the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, Jordan Phillips head-butted Kelce after quarterback Patrick Mahomes scored a rushing touchdown, sending the Chiefs tight end backward with his arms in the air. Phillips was flagged for unnecessary roughness, adding 15 yards to Kansas City’s extra-point attempt, while the play was later characterized as a flop by some observers.

Kelce was fined $11,255 for taunting safety Damar Hamlin, but the NFL did not fine him for flopping or simulating contact.

In any case, earlier episodes saw Jason question the league’s fine against 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a celebration gesture, and call out a separate $524,281 week of total player fines as excessive. Flopping, in Jason’s view, deserves the opposite treatment: instead of fining players after the fact, he wants officials to simply stop handing out the penalty in the moment altogether.

For now, Jason’s idea remains just that, an idea. Whether the NFL ever takes that approach is still unclear, but Jason has clearly stated that he would like officials to stop rewarding what he sees as obvious attempts to draw penalties.