New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Episode 174 – “Offseason Plans, Wildcard Preview & Matt Damon on Brady, Affleck Bromance & Career Odyssey”

Release Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode packs the perfect New Heights punch: brotherly banter, raw NFL insight, post-season emotions, and a blockbuster Hollywood guest. Jason and Travis Kelce, fresh off their respective regular seasons, break down their teams’ finishes, preview the NFL’s Wildcard round, and reflect on career milestones. The show’s centerpiece is an extended, candid, and hilarious interview with actor, writer, and producer Matt Damon—covering everything from Boston sports and the “Affleck bromance” to the secrets behind multi-decade Hollywood success.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. NFL Season Wrap-Up & Wildcard Week Preview

[04:41–22:29]

Chiefs Season Reflection (Travis)

• Travis discusses how injury and tough finishes defined the end of the Chiefs’ regular season, expressing gratitude for his teammates and the “love of the game.”
  • Quote: “It's a tough way to go out, especially with the amount of success and the standard that you hold … you try to learn from it, figure out where it went wrong. It's just a shitty feeling.” (06:06–06:28)
• Travis ponders his NFL future, stating he needs to decompress and assess his body and mind before committing to 2026.
  • Quote: “Every season ends for me, I put my feet up and just be a human ... try and figure out what I'm going to do next in terms of my future in football.” (08:48–10:26)

Eagles' Approach & Backup Strategy (Jason)

• Jason explains why the Eagles rested key starters in Week 18 and accepts public criticism, citing the importance of health over uncertain playoff seeding.
  • Quote: “If we play our stars in a game like this, it ended up costing us ... I think, at this point in the season, when you have the ability to avoid someone getting hurt—you do it.” (12:46–14:23)

Wildcard Week Breakdown

• The brothers analyze NFC and AFC matchups, identifying potential upsets and “dark horse” contenders (Jacksonville gets repeated dark horse nods).
• Fun banter about playoff seeding, league parity, and which games they're most excited for:
  • Travis: Excited about “Buffalo at Jacksonville” and “Herbert vs. Drake May in New England” (19:02–18:53)
  • Jason: “The game I’m most excited about is Philly vs. San Fran. That’s one of the more exciting games in the first round.” (18:11)

2. Travis’ Milestones & Records

[07:21–08:43]

• Third tight end ever with 13,000 receiving yards (behind Tony Gonzalez and Jason Whitten).
• Tied for longest streak of 75+ catch seasons (10, matching Tim Brown).
• 8th most receptions in NFL history for any position.
  • Quote: “Coach Reid dials me up ... in my 13th year, he’s still trusting me to try and win him some ball games.” (08:10)

3. Stamps of the Week

[22:29–24:23]

• Jason: Miles Garrett breaks single-season sack record (23 sacks).
  • Quote: “Anytime somebody breaks a freaking all-time season record…they’re going to get the stamp of the week.” (22:46)
• Travis: Cleveland Heights’ Layla Edwards becomes the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women’s national hockey team at the Olympics.
  • Quote: “Layla Edwards is heading to the Olympics…even cooler, our hometown, Cleveland Heights, Ohio!” (24:04)

Main Interview: Matt Damon

[27:28–83:11]

Matt Damon Introduction

• Matt drops in, joking about how Instagram only recommends New Heights clips to him now.
  • Quote: “For some reason my Instagram thinks you’re the only thing I want to watch.” (27:32)
• The brothers run down Damon’s long list of career highlights, from Good Will Hunting to Jason Bourne, and hype up his new film The Rip.

1. Behind the Scenes: "The Rip"

• Damon shares that The Rip, his new Netflix film, is inspired by real-life Money Seizure squads that use dogs trained to sniff out cash in Miami.
  • Damon: “There are these programs in Miami where they take tips to go get money got by ill-gotten gains …they have dogs that smell for money…” (29:15)
• On how the movie came together via his studio with Ben Affleck:
  • “Ben and I have a studio…people are starting to become aware of that…this came to us through Joe Carnahan.” (30:37–31:22)

2. Affleck Bromance & Career Stories

• “What’s the dumbest thing you’ve convinced Ben to do?”
  • Matt traces their start to “taking the bus for seven hours to New York for auditions at age 14 and 16…Our whole life was a stupid week.”
  • Quote: “If you—the odds of it working out were so long against … our whole life has been, I mean… the whole idea was kind of dumb to begin with.” (31:46–32:35)
• On selling Good Will Hunting—the windfall wasn’t as life-changing as it seemed.
  • “We sold the screenplay for $600 grand. After taxes and agent…it was under $150k each. First thing we did was buy brand new Jeep Grand Cherokees.” (33:48–33:59)
• On Hollywood residuals and fair pay:
  • “If you do something like that as one of the real contributors…if there’s money in perpetuity, you should be a part of that.” (35:01)

3. The Odyssey & Getting Ripped for Roles

• Damon plays Odysseus in The Odyssey (coming July 2026). He describes getting into peak shape and going gluten-free for the role.
  • “He wanted me lean but strong … I did that whole movie at 167 lbs, I haven’t been that light since high school.” (37:00–37:19)

4. Working with Directors & Learning the Craft

• Compares filmmaking to NFL “preseason” and the value of great crews.
• Discusses how directors like Chris Nolan (who shot The Odyssey entirely on IMAX) and Clint Eastwood differ in their editing approach:
  • “It’s a director’s medium…your allegiance has to be to the best idea…if everyone does that, everything’s going to work out.” (58:15)

5. Boston Sports Deep Dive

Patriots Hopes and QB Discussion

• Matt is unashamedly optimistic about New England’s future with Drake May:
  • “I can’t believe we got this lucky in New England…three-year playoff drought, and all of a sudden you got another franchise quarterback.” (43:32–43:46)
  • On expectations for the Patriots in the postseason:
    Quote: “This is like found money for us…if we get bounced in the first round, I still think this is a massive year.” (46:10–46:28)

Tom Brady Memories

• Matt tells a classic story of taking his nephew to meet Brady in Miami:
  • “Tom comes running over, gets in my nephew's face: 'You gonna root for me today, Troy?' ... Then he goes, 'We're gonna kill these guys.'” (51:57)
• On Boston’s championship years:
  • “Brady gave us … 20 years of him. We don’t deserve Drake May, but we’ll take him!” (49:40)

Red Sox & Fenway Nostalgia

• Matt’s best sports moment: hitting a ball off the Green Monster, pitched by his dad during a 1999 MLB All-Star game event. (49:35)
• Favorite seat in Fenway: On top of the Green Monster. (54:19)
• Idol: Carlton Fisk, referenced in Good Will Hunting. (53:29)

Super Bowl LII: Jason's Eagles vs. Patriots

• Matt's still disbelief over Malcolm Butler's controversial benching:
  • “I still don’t understand why he didn’t put Malcolm Butler in the game. Never answered it.” (55:38)
• Both Kelces and Damon agree it was one of the most exciting, high-scoring Super Bowls ever.

6. Hollywood Wisdom and War Stories

On Collaborating & Avoiding Ego

• “Ego is the enemy of everything. Your allegiance has to be to the best idea. You’re all a lesser part of the thing you’re making.” (58:15)
• “With a director, it’s like a benevolent dictatorship … like Coach Andy Reid is the director: he’s getting 51%. Travis, shut up!" (59:37–59:46)

Retirement & Athlete Parallels

• Damon recounts Michael Strahan’s comparison of NFL life:
  • “He turns to me and goes, ‘Matt, I get in 35 car accidents a week.’” (61:09)
• The pain of aging in sports:
  • “You guys get better at your job, but your skills decline as you age. Mentally, you keep going up, physically—going down.” (62:47)

On Learning by Doing

• Advice for film writing or acting: “It’s a trade. Just do it. Be around other people doing it. Read scripts, apprentice yourself.” (80:28)

“Welcome to Hollywood” Moment

• Watching Robin Williams and Stellan Skarsgård reading lines from Good Will Hunting on the first day of filming brought him to tears (79:07).

7. Quick Hits and Boston Banter

• First movie with Ben Affleck: extra work in The Good Mother before even Field of Dreams (35:30).
• Would Damon do another Oceans film?
  • “There’s always talk…you never know how things will coalesce, but I love that group of guys.” (73:08)
• Ran a play breakdown for School Ties (breakdown is full of laughter and self-deprecation; “Not only could I not do the cut block, Brendan Fraser had to throw me into the right position.” (74:28))
• On working with Michael Jordan for Air: No, but Ben went to see him; Jordan requested Viola Davis play his mother.
  • “Ben called me up … ‘Good news, bad news: We got Mike’s blessing. Bad news: We have to rewrite the script; it’s all about his mother now.’” (76:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Travis Kelce: “It’s a shitty feeling…and in a shitty way to try and navigate one of the things you love to do the most.” (06:06)
• Jason Kelce: “If they start the starters and one of the premier guys gets hurt…everybody’s gonna be on Nick Sirianni like, ‘What fucking idiot is playing his guys in a meaningless game?!’” (12:30)
• Matt Damon: “Our whole life has been [doing] stupid shit. If you—the odds of it working out…were so long.” (31:46)
• Matt Damon: “If you do something like that as one of the real contributors, then…if there’s money in perpetuity, you should be a part of that.” (35:01)
• Matt Damon on Red Sox moment: "I hit one off the Green Monster off my dad. We both looked at each other—I'll never need therapy in my life." (49:35)
• Matt Damon: “Ego is the enemy of everything. That’s my … It really is. Your allegiance has to be to the best idea.” (58:15)
• Travis Kelce: "With a director...Coach Andy Reid is the director. He's getting 51%." (59:46)
• Matt Damon on acting advice: “It’s a trade…just do it. Read scripts, apprentice yourself.” (80:28)
• Matt Damon: “Don’t blink…my daughter broke her collarbone and asked me to brush her hair. I hadn’t brushed her hair in nine years…it buckled me, man.” (69:02)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp (MM:SS) | |--------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Chiefs’ & Eagles’ Season Recap | 04:41–14:23 | | NFL Playoff Picture & Predictions | 14:23–22:29 | | Stamps of the Week (NFL honors, Olympics) | 22:29–24:23 | | Matt Damon Interview Begins | 27:28 | | The Rip (New Movie) | 29:15–31:22 | | Early Career/Good Will Hunting | 31:46–35:01 | | On “Odyssey” and Training for Roles | 36:33–39:29 | | Boston Sports Discussion | 42:06–55:38 | | Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs. Patriots | 55:38–58:12 | | Hollywood Collaboration & Ego | 58:15–60:09 | | Athlete Retirement & Parallels | 61:09–64:18 | | Matt’s Advice/Q&A/Rapid Fire | 68:13–83:03 | | Outro/Thanks/Final Banter | 83:11–86:32 |

Overall Tone & Style

• True-to-life New Heights energy: loose, irreverent, deeply knowledgeable, with plenty of ball-busting.
• Damon fits perfectly, vacillating between humility, nostalgia, insight, and riotous Boston sports fan.
• The episode consistently balances hard football talk, behind-the-curtain Hollywood tidbits, and a massive dose of heart.

For Listeners Seeking Key Takeaways

• NFL fans will love the raw honesty from both Kelces about emotional season endings and the challenges of professional uncertainty.
• Movie buffs get a rare seat at the table to hear about the business of filmmaking, actor friendships, and how Damon remains grounded through fame.
• Boston sports diehards will especially appreciate Damon’s stories (from Fenway to Tom Brady) and his undying optimism for the Pats’ future with Drake May.
• Anyone facing career crossroads will find resonance in the conversations about mentorship, aging, growth, and balancing ego versus teamwork.

Memorable "Wow" Moment:
Matt Damon hitting a ball off the Green Monster, pitched by his father during All-Star Game week—“I’ll never need therapy in my life, I’ll just go back to this moment.” (49:35)

Highly Recommended Segments for Quick Listening

• Damon on Hollywood friendships and Good Will Hunting: 31:46–35:01
• Travis on football’s emotional toll and possible retirement: 08:48–10:26 & 60:09–64:18
• Jason and Matt dissecting Super Bowl LII and “what happened to Malcolm Butler”: 55:38–58:12
• Matt on raising daughters (“don’t blink”): 69:02–71:11

This episode is a prime example of New Heights at full power—sincere, chaotic, and occasionally profound.

Summary created by an expert summarizer. All timestamps and quotes preserved for reference and context. Original language and tone maintained.