Jason Kelce speaking to reportersJason Kelce (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce made a curious admission as part of a strange interaction on social media this week.

Kelce claimed to have CTE following a comment a Twitter/X user made in response to one of his posts.

It all started when the former offensive lineman referenced the recent Kentucky Derby, asserting 1973 Triple Corn winner, Secretariat, was on steroids. Kelce had previously stated that the horse was “juiced to the gills” and doubled down on it with a lengthy tweet.

The ESPN-bound personality said that there was not enough testing back in the day while there are records of PEDs being used that date back to the 1960s.

A user hit out at Kelce, suggesting CTE was the reason he could make such a claim.

“Just going to put this out there, you know who else makes unsubstantiated claims not backed up by facts,” they wrote. “People suffering from CTE. I’ll admit I don’t know whether @JasonKelce suffers from CTE or not, it’s impossible to know…”

Jason Kelce Admits He Has CTE

Kelce, who played in the NFL for 13 years, did not oppose the statement. He leaned into it instead.

“I mean I can virtually guarantee that I have CTE, all the research would suggest I have some degree of it,” he replied. “ I think it is entirely reasonable to assume I have some degree of that pathology.”

CTE has become a prominent subject where the NFL is concerned, and Commissioner Roger Goodell has often been accused of covering up the effects on football players.

That a player of Jason Kelce’s ilk has publicly admitted to having it is not a good look for the league.

Meanwhile, Kelce has apologized for his original tweet.

What Is CTE?

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE, is described as a progressive degenerative disease that affects people who have suffered multiple concussions or have been exposed to repetitive head trauma.

Symptoms include memory loss, aggression, confusion, depression, impaired judgment, difficulty controlling impulses, erratic behavior, suicidal tendencies, anxiety, trouble sleeping, dizziness, and trouble balancing.

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown has been the most outspoken on the disease, though he mostly jokes about it and uses it as an excuse for his behavior.

Warren Sapp, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle, has also claimed to have CTE.