Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been shining brightly for over a decade. His incredible talent not only led the team to three Super Bowl victories but also brought immense fame, partly due to his bond with pop sensation Taylor Swift. Therefore, when the Chiefs decided to make him the highest-paid tight end in the league, it was a commendable decision, considering Kelce was criminally underpaid.
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On Monday, Spotrac initially reported that Travis Kelce has signed a two-year, $34.25 million extension with the Chiefs that will run through 2027. However, the outlet’s co-founder, Michael Ginnitti, later clarified on X (formerly Twitter), that the contract isn’t an extension; rather, Kelce is getting a raise to $34.25 million over the remaining two years of his existing contract that ends after the 2025 season.
Just confirmed with the agent that Travis Kelce’s contract is not an extension through 2027, but rather a renegotiated 2-year contract that replaces the final two seasons of his previous deal in KC.
Kelce was set to earn $30.25M, but can now bag $34.25M, $17M of which is… https://t.co/gJtZ31JmT6
— Spotrac (@spotrac) April 29, 2024
Before Kelce’s raise got finalized, the star tight end was due $30.25 million over two years. An extra $4 million added to his contract has now positioned him as the highest-paid tight end in the league, breaking the record of New York Giants TE Darren Waller, who makes $17 million per year. As per the new deal, Travis Kelce will now earn $17.125 million annually.
The Chiefs drafted Travis Kelce in 2013, and since then, he has been a part of the franchise for 11 years. Apart from making four Super Bowl appearances in the last five years, Kelce’s been selected to the Pro Bowl nine times and made it to the All-Pro First-Team four times. Throughout his time with the Chiefs, he started in 152 out of 159 games, catching 907 passes out of 1267 attempts for 11,328 yards and 74 touchdowns, as per Pro Football Reference.
Mahomes’ Tribute to Kelce’s Achievement
Travis Kelce has been playing beside Patrick Mahomes since the latter assumed the starting role in 2018. Six years have passed, and the two have been best friends on and off the field. When Mahomes learned about Kelce’s raise, he was among the first to leave a heartfelt message for him on social media.
“I told yall I’ll never let him leave!! Congrats my guy!” the two-time MVP wrote.
I told yall I’ll never let him leave!! Congrats my guy! @tkelce https://t.co/9sqkZY8mU8
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 29, 2024
Making Travis Kelce the highest-paid tight end is a smart move because he brought in a whole new group of fans for the Chiefs last season. After rumors started circulating about Kelce dating pop star Taylor Swift in September 2023, her fans, known as the Swifties, became devoted supporters of Kelce and his team. Plus, since Taylor appeared in 13 of the Chiefs’ games last season, both the Chiefs and the league made unbelievable profits from it.
Kelce’s personal brand has grown bigger than ever, and it is making his team shine brighter. So, it’s only fair that the Kansas City Chiefs compensate Travis Kelce, who is also one of the best tight ends in the league, with a good salary.
