NEWSKylie Kelce Says She 'Was a Terrible WAG' and Explains Her Distaste for the Term: 'It Reduces Women to Being Defined by Their Husband'
Kylie Kelce opened up about why she never embraced being called a WAG.
Oct. 15 2026, Published 5:57 p.m. ET
Kylie Kelce isn't afraid to admit she wasn't exactly the model NFL wife, but she has a good reason for rejecting the label.
The wife of former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce recently opened up on Michelle Obama's "IMO" podcast about her discomfort with the term "WAG," an acronym for wives and girlfriends of professional athletes.
While reflecting on her experience alongside other NFL spouses, Kylie explained why she believes the popular label often overlooks women's individual accomplishments.
Kylie Kelce Admits She 'Was a Terrible WAG'
Kylie Kelce said the term WAG reduces women to their husbands' accomplishments.
When asked whether she had ever considered herself a WAG, Kylie didn't hesitate.
"Yes, I was a terrible WAG," she admitted.
However, her issue wasn't with the women who embraced the NFL lifestyle. Instead, she questioned why their identities were so often tied to the men they married or dated.
"I always felt like the term WAG itself reduced women to being defined by the role their husband held," she explained.
For Kylie, being married to a professional football player was only one part of her identity, not something that should define her entire life.
Kylie Kelce Praises Accomplished Women in the NFL Community
Kylie Kelce praised the lawyers, nurses and educators she met through the Eagles community.
The mother-of-four went on to explain that her time around the Eagles organization introduced her to women with impressive careers of their own.
"I was fortunate on the Eagles we had women who were lawyers, nurses, educators," she recalled. "We had these women who were seriously accomplished in their own right."
Kylie emphasized that she never wanted those accomplishments to be overshadowed by their husbands' careers on the football field.
"And I'm like, don’t reduce yourself to get in line with him. You have your own stuff going on," she said.
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Kylie Kelce Didn't Want NFL Wives to Be Diminished
Kylie Kelce and Jason Kelce married in 2018.
Kylie made it clear that her criticism of the term wasn't directed at other football wives, sharing, "I was always really excited about the women on the Eagles and never wanted them to be diminished."
Kylie Kelce Has Built Her Own Platform Beyond Football
Kylie Kelce has established her own platform as the host of the podcast 'Not Gonna Lie.'
Kylie has become a recognizable personality in her own right, particularly since Jason retired from the NFL in 2024 after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The couple, who married in 2018, share four daughters: Wyatt, Elliotte, Bennett and Finnley.
In addition to raising their family, Kylie hosts the podcast "Not Gonna Lie," where she discusses motherhood, relationships and everyday life with her signature unfiltered humor.
Although her husband's football career brought their family into the spotlight, Kylie has continued to establish an identity separate from the NFL — something that reflects her views on the WAG label.
