The Chiefs’ 2020 offseason involved taking care of their cornerstone players. Patrick Mahomes signed a then-record contract, and Chris Jones inked a big-ticket deal just before the franchise tag deadline. Soon after those deals, the Chiefs gave Travis Kelce a third contract — one far less lucrative than the pacts given to his high-profile teammates.
Kelce’s four-year, $57.25MM deal is just now going into the extension years; his previous contract ran through 2021. The Chiefs are moving a bit of money around to compensate their All-Pro tight end, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who notes (via Twitter) Kelce will receive an additional $3MM this year.
Moved from the back of Kelce’s backloaded contract to 2022, the $3MM bump will be distributed via a $1MM salary increase and a $2MM bonus for being on Kansas City’s 53-man roster, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. This hikes Kelce’s 2022 pay to $10.5MM. His contract runs through 2025.
Tight ends, in general, are not making money in line with their value to offenses. George Kittle‘s $15MM-per-year contract tops the positional market, but it checks in behind 21 wide receivers’ AAV figures. Kelce also agreed to an extension low on guarantees. Kelce’s total guarantees ($23MM) rank eighth among tight ends; his $21MM guaranteed at signing ranks sixth.
Kelce is the only tight end in NFL history to record six straight 1,000-yard seasons. Despite this being his age-33 campaign, the 10th-year veteran will almost certainly be a more important cog in this year’s Kansas City attack. The trade of Tyreek Hill ushered in a new-look Chiefs wide receiver corps, amplifying Kelce’s dependability.
do any of the 21 receivers making more than kittle block too? so dumb. te>wr
Bravo!!!!!!!! Author!!!!!! Author!!!!!! Wow, I couldn’t agree more. While wideouts are, generally, the deep threats of any offense, and serve a purpose to either stretch the field, pull defenders away, or occasionally make a catch, a more consistent contribution to an offense would be block well on running plays. Too many diva wideouts don’t take this role seriously. In addition, tight ends who make catches over the middle are often the most reliable way to pick a first down and keep a drive alive. The receiver market has exploded this off-season and is currently even more overvalued than even the quarterback market, which is saying something. While Tyreek Hill is a breakaway threat you always have to account for, I believe Travis Kelce has just as important a contributor, if not more so, than Hill in the Chiefs’ offense. The Chiefs may miss Hill a bit, but Kelce and others should keep Mahomes and the Chiefs running smoothly. Kelce is a MUCH better value than Hill or so many of his wideout brethren.