Travis Kelce agrees to new Chiefs contract to become best-paid tight end in NFL

Three-time Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce has agreed to sign a two-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs to become the highest-paid tight end in the NFL

Travis Kelce isn’t leaving Kansas City any time soon. On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Kelce and the Chiefs had agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension.

The new deal crowns the 34-year-old as the highest paid tight end in the NFL, surpassing Darren Waller’s $17 million per year from the New York Giants.

News of Kelce’s extension immediately caught the attention of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who gave the signing a resounding stamp of approval. “I told yall I’ll never let him leave!! Congrats my guy!” he wrote on X.

Prior to inking a new deal, Kelce ranked as the fourth-highest paid tight end in the NFL at $14.3 million, slotting behind 49ers’ George Kittle ($15 million), Vikings T.J. Hockenson ($16.5 million) and Waller. His willingness to routinely take on team-friendly contracts over the years has been integral to the Chiefs’ recent stretch of dominance, allowing Kansas City to allocate funds towards other star players and free agents.

While speaking to Vanity Fair last June, Kelce acknowledged that his unparalleled production on the field hardly coincided with the amount of money he was earning. “My managers and agents love to tell me how underpaid I am,” he said. “Any time I talk about wanting more money, they’re just like, ‘Why don’t you go to the Chiefs and ask them?’”

This disparity in his payment and play became even more evident for Kelce once wide receiver and ex-teammate Tyreek Hill agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension with the Miami Dolphins after being dealt by the Chiefs in 2022.

Travis Kelce is now the highest paid tight end in the NFL ( 
Image:
Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“When I saw Tyreek go and get 30 [million] a year, in the back of my head, I was like, man, that’s two to three times what I’m making right now,” he continued. “I’m like, the free market looks like fun until you go somewhere and you don’t win. I love winning. I love the situation I’m in.”

“You see how much more money you could be making and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit,” Kelce added. “It makes you think you’re being taken advantage of. I don’t know if I really pressed the gas if I would get what I’m quote-unquote worth. But I know I enjoy coming to that building every single day.”

Kelce experienced a slight dip in his production last season, amassing 93 catches for 984 yards following seven consecutive regular seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards. But he regained his dominant form in the playoffs, recording 32 receptions for 355 yards and four touchdowns en route to leading the Chiefs to a second consecutive Super Bowl championship – their third in the last half decade.

Bo Nix hits back at NFL Draft comments in music to ears of Denver Broncos fans

NFL legend tells 49ers fans why they should feel thrilled about Ricky Pearsall draft choice
With Kelce now locked into the roster through at least 2027, several of the Chiefs’ biggest stars are under contract for the foreseeable future. Thanks to a 10-year, $450 million contract signed in 2020, Mahomes will remain in Kansas City until 2033.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones, meanwhile, is fresh off of signing a five-year, $158.75 million deal this offseason. Head coach Andy additionally inked a contract extension that goes through 2029 earlier this month.