Jason Kelce Reignites Bad Blood With 49ers Over Brock Purdy Injury: “It Became Hatred”
Philadelphia and San Francisco don’t need marketing to sell this rivalry. History already did the job. From playoff collisions to lingering narratives, every Eagles-49ers matchup feels personal. With another postseason meeting looming, the temperature has shot up again.
This time, the spark came from a familiar voice. Jason Kelce didn’t mince words. The former Eagles center peeled back the curtain on what really brewed between both locker rooms. It’s not about competitive tension or mutual respect; it’s something more intense. Something that still hasn’t cooled.
Jason Kelce Revisits the Brock Purdy Injury and the Rivalry Fallout
Sep 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles former player Jason Kelce looks on prior to the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Eagles are defending champions heading into another playoff showdown with San Francisco. The 49ers, meanwhile, are battered but alive. They clinched the NFC’s No. 6 seed and will travel to Lincoln Financial Field for the Wild Card round on Sunday. Against that backdrop, Jason Kelce reopened an old wound tied to Brock Purdy’s injury from the 2022 NFC Championship Game.
Speaking on SportsRadioWIP, Kelce laid out how resentment grew after that night. First, from the side of San Francisco. Later, from the side of Philadelphia. The injury, according to the seven-time Pro Bowl center, changed the emotional balance between the teams.
Jason Kelce via SportsRadioWIP:
“I think definitely from the Niners standpoint. I think it became hatred from our standpoint probably after that following regular season game.
They definitely were resentful that Brock Purdy got hurt. I still think we win that game if Brock’s in there. Our defense was incredible that year. Offensively, we started a little wonky, but we got going. We were running the ball very well. Their linebackers didn’t play the RPOs well. They were flat-footed. That took away their strength. You put Fred Warner in a read situation and all of a sudden, he’s a tick slower.”
Jason Kelce not only defended the Eagles’ victory but also reframed its perception. His breakdown suggested the outcome wasn’t injury-dependent. Philadelphia, in his view, had already cracked the code.
According to Athlon Sports reporter Paolo Songco, Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Brock Purdy suffered only a stinger in Week 18 and is expected to practice fully. The quarterback is on track to start Sunday. Linebacker depth, however, is another issue. Tatum Bethune is out for the season. Dee Winters and Luke Gifford are banged up. Fred Warner’s playoff availability remains uncertain.
That defensive reality feeds directly into Kelce’s comments. The former All-Pro didn’t attack a player. He targeted a structural weakness. With Jason Kelce revisiting the Brock Purdy injury narrative, the emotional undercurrent has shifted again.
Jason Kelce reigniting bad blood with the 49ers adds fuel to a matchup already heavy with memory. Regardless of whether Brock Purdy stays upright, the underlying tension is clear. As Kelce stated, the animosity has never dissipated.
