Travis Kelce Makes Honest Admission on Being Underpaid

Kelce, 33, is entering his eleventh season in the league and has been with the Chiefs since being taken 63rd overall in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The two-time Super Bowl winner is a great pass catcher in the game, but his salary reflects it.

Kelce, an eight-time Pro Bowler, will earn a base salary of roughly $11 million (£8.7 million) this season. This sum rises to more than $16 million (£12.66 million) in 2025 before becoming an unrestricted free agent the following year.

In another circumstance, the veteran understands he might make between $20 million (£15.82 million) and $30 million (£23.73 million). Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce has confessed to being underpaid, but says winning makes it all worthwhile.

“My managers and agents love to tell me how underpaid I am,” Kelce explained to Vanity Fair. “Whenever I mention wanting more money, they’re like, ‘Why don’t you go to the Chiefs and ask them?'”

Tyreek Hill, a former teammate, is a good example. The former Chiefs wide out signed with the Miami Dolphins last year, and they quickly made him the highest-paid player in the league, something Kansas City was unwilling 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, after staying still, the tight end now possesses double Hill’s rings.

“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 and off the field. Despite losing players like Hill, the Chiefs have been able to rebuild their squad and remain competitors by signing Kelce to team-friendly contracts.

It’s not only the tight end who makes sacrifices for the team. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets paid less than the individual who catches his throws.