Jason Kelce ‘used to leave undeposited paychecks worth $50,000 laying around his apartment’, reveals an old friend who lifts the lid on the early days of his Eagles career with the center, 36, set to retire

An old friend of Jason Kelce has revealed that the NFL star would leave undeposited checks worth $50,000 laying around his Philadelphia apartment, as he lifts the lid on the early days of his Eagles career with the center set to retire at 36 years old.

Alex Hoffman – an offensive linesman for the Cincinnati Bearcats from 2007-11 – first described Kelce as a ‘good guitar player’ and singer who ‘could pick up songs by ear and play them’ in a tell-all account of the 2018 Super Bowl champion’s college days.

The pair were teammates for three seasons in Cincy from 2007-10 before going their separate ways, with Kelce being drafted as a sixth-round pick (No. 191 overall) by the Eagles in the 2011 NFL draft.

That didn’t matter, however, as the pair kept in touch throughout the years since then.

‘My wife and I [once] went to stay at Jason’s penthouse in Philly,’ Hoffman recalled to The Athletic. ‘This was before he met Kylie. My wife and I were sleeping on his couch and he just had undeposited paychecks laying around. Like $50,000 between a few checks, and he was like, ”Eh, I haven’t gotten around them yet.”

Jason Kelce used to live in a penthouse in Philadelphia before he met his wife, Kylie, in 2015

‘That just defines Jason. He doesn’t care about the money.’

After Monday night’s wild-card loss for the Eagles, Kelce, the heart of Philly and a seven-time Pro Bowl selectee, has all but officially called it quits after 13 seasons.

Kelce told teammates in confidence after the first-round playoff loss that he has no intent of coming back. He danced around the topic on Wednesday’s edition of the ‘New Heights’ podcast he co-hosts with younger brother and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce has also shut down retirement talk at the Eagles complex, all of this week.

‘Before we start, I’m not addressing any retirement questions today,’ Kelce said. ‘But I will answer any questions regarding end of the season and football stuff that I think people are entitled to.’

Jason has only played for the Eagles in his 13-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl in 2018

In that regard, Kelce said the ‘big turning point’ of the season was Philly’s loss to San Francisco. The Eagles were 10-1 before they were clobbered by the 49ers at home by 23 points in an NFC championship game rematch. Dallas beat the Eagles by 20 points the next week and the losses – and finger pointing – snowballed from there.

Like his teammates, Kelce stuck up for Sirianni as the head coach of the Eagles’ job is in danger.

Kelce has at least one more game left – or at least, one NFL event. He´ll head to the Pro Bowl, which has turned into a skills competition in Orlando, Florida. He wants to take his family to Disney World. He wants to watch his brother in the playoffs.

And then? Maybe by the end of the Super Bowl, Kelce will be officially retired.

‘It’s a hard thing to step away from,’ Kelce said, before catching himself: ‘I’m imagining.’