The Kansas City Chiefs signed tight end Travis Kelce to a two-year, $34.25 million extension on Monday, making him the highest paid tight end in regards to average annual salary.
Kelce spoke about the extension on this week’s episode of the New Heights podcast that he hosts with his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
While the Chiefs star expressed his gratitude to the team for making this deal, he also acknowledged how significant this contract is to the future of tight ends’ deals. He hopes to see other players earn lucrative deals like him.
“I’m so excited and so thankful to this organization for getting it done, making me feel appreciated and compensated the right way and on top of that I got to move the needle for the tight end room,’’ Kelce said. “It’s everyone else’s job to go out there and keep making that tight end AAV go up and up with every single contract that’s better than mine in the future.”
Kelce continued sharing how grateful he is to the Chiefs organization for getting this deal done early in the offseason. He admitted that he wouldn’t “hold out” like other players do, notably his teammate Chris Jones last season, but he still is thankful the deal was reached with ease.
“I’m not a guy that sits out, I’m not a guy that holds out,” Kelce continued. “I’m a guy that loves coming into the building, and the Chiefs know that. So, for them to want, first of all, want to get this done for me knowing how much blood, sweat and tears I put into this thing for, I’m extremely grateful and I’m extremely thankful for everybody involved. I love Kansas City for it.”
The 34-year-old has spent his entire NFL career in Kansas City. During the 2023 season, he caught 93 passes for 984 yards and scored five touchdowns in 15 games. In the playoffs, Kelce caught 32 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns as the Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl and third in the last five seasons.
