Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce acknowledges how underpaid he is but admits winning makes it all worth it.
Kelce, 33, is entering his tenth season in the league and has been with the Chiefs since being selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft as 63rd overall pick. The two-time Super Bowl champion is a top pass catcher in the sport but does not have a salary to reflect that.
An eight-time Pro Bowler, Kelce will earn a base salary of around $11 million (£8.7m) this upcoming season. That figure ticks up over $16m (£12.66m) in 2025 before becoming an unrestricted free agent the following year.
The veteran knows he could earn between $20m (£15.82m) and $30m (£23.73m) in another situation. Those around him are all too keen to remind him of that reality.
“My managers and agents love to tell me how underpaid I am,” Kelce told Vanity Fair . “Any time I talk about wanting more money, they’re just like, ‘Why don’t you go to the Chiefs and ask them?’”
The example of former teammate Tyreek Hill is relevant. The long-time Chiefs wide receiver became a Miami Dolphin last year, and they soon made him the highest-paid receiver in the league, which Kansas City was not willing to do.
“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,” Kelce said. However, the tight end now has double Hill's rings after staying put.
"I’m like, the free market looks like fun until you go somewhere and you don’t win," Kelce added. "I love winning. I love the situation I’m in.”
The former Cincinnati Bearcat contributes to winning on the field and on the cap sheet. By Kelce taking team-friendly deals, the Chiefs have been able to bolster their roster and remain contenders over multiple seasons despite losing the likes of Hill.
It is not just the tight end sacrificing for the collective, either. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is even more underpaid than the person catching his passes.
The two-time MVP signed a ten-year extension worth up to $503 million (£397.89m) in the same offseason as Kelce put pen to paper on his current deal. Spreading the total over several seasons helps the franchise. On top of that, Mahomes has since restructured the initial agreement to free up cap space.
He shares a similar sentiment to Kelce. “You see how much more money you could be making, and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit,” the tight end said.
“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.”
