Did Megan Rapinoe call for Jason Kelce’s firing?

A claim that retired professional U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe called for Super Bowl champion and ESPN analyst Jason Kelce’s firing began circulating online this week.

Snopes readers searched for references to Rapinoe and Kelce on this website, which led us to consult search engines DuckDuckGo and Google for basic details about why the two names were making the rounds together. We located a popular Facebook post (archived) that appeared on the Empire Sports Facebook page on Oct. 5, reading in part:

MEGAN RAPINOE: Calls for Jason Kelce to be FIRED..

Megan Rapinoe criticized Jason Kelce after he used Washington’s former team name during a live broadcast.

“I know Jason Kelce said that racist name on purpose to create division. He should be fired immediately.”

— Megan Rapinoe

The comments under Empire Sports’ post indicated some people believed Rapinoe truly called for Kelce’s firing.

Other users shared the rumor on Facebook (archived) and Threads (archived), though the original Empire Sports Facebook post earned far more likes, comments and shares than other examples.

In sum, while it’s true Kelce mentioned the old Washington Redskins’ team name during a TV broadcast, Rapinoe did not call for his firing.

The Empire Sports page displays a disclaimer acknowledging it publishes fabricated content of a parodical and satirical nature, reading, “Delivering the Finest of Sports Parodies / Satire / Updates / Insider News & much MORE.” In other words, Empire Sports does not publish authentic news reports.

The aforementioned searches of DuckDuckGo and Google located no news media outlets credibly reporting Rapinoe said any such things about Kelce. Rapinoe’s active Instagram page also did not feature any content about him.

Snopes emailed representatives for Rapinoe and Kelce to ask if either wished to address the popular made-up story. The Empire Sports page didn’t display a Messenger button or any other contact methods.

Purveyors of misinformation and fabricated stories — whether labeled as parody and satire or not — have long wielded Rapinoe’s name and image as politically-fueled engagement bait, whether for social media posts or website traffic, sometimes thinly disguised as satire. Part of the reason for the firestorm of controversy in this instance stems from U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about Rapinoe, and vice versa.

What Kelce said

On Oct. 4, Kelce served as an analyst during the ESPN-owned NFL Network TV broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts’ 30-13 victory over the Washington Commanders, which took place in London.

A video from that broadcast shows Kelce apologizing to the Washington Commanders after he used the team’s former name. In the clip, Kelce breaks down the Commanders’ defensive coverage, saying, “The Redskins right now are doing a great job of not only staying tight but making the play when the ball is in the receiver’s hand and keeping it short of the sticks.”

Announcer Dave Pasch laughs, telling Kelce he accidentally said Redskins, to which Kelce responds, “Oh my gosh! I almost made it out.” Pasch then says he, Kelce and former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner, also working as an analyst, all had a “gentleman’s bet” regarding who would slip up first. Kelce replies, “Well, sorry Washington.”

Snopes has debunked similar pieces of media before, including past satire-labeled rumors suggesting Rapinoe was leaving the U.S. due to a “massive red wave,” going bankrupt and was banned from the Olympic sports.

Sources