Chiefs sign star tight end Travis Kelce to new 2-year, $34.25 million deal, AP source says
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs signed Travis Kelce to a new two-year, $34.25 million contract on Monday, wrapping up their star tight end as they attempt to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press.
Kelce’s deal with Kansas City includes $17 million guaranteed for 2024 and $11.25 million guaranteed by the third day of the 2025 league year, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because those details hadn’t been released.
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While not disclosing the financial details, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Kelce would remain the league’s highest-paid tight end, adding that it was a priority to “adjust his contract.”
The 34-year-old Kelce signed a four-year, $57.25 million extension with Kansas City in 2020, which followed a $46 million, five-year deal that he signed in 2016.
“Hard to put into words what Travis means to this organization and this city,” Veach told local reporters on Zoom. “Just a really special day and moment for this organization to once again recognize arguably one of the greatest tight ends to ever do it.”
Kelce, who was chosen by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, already is their career leader with 11,328 yards receiving. He needs eight receptions to reach 917 and pass Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez for that record, and three touchdown catches would give him 77, dropping Gonzalez to No. 2 on that franchise list.
Most important, Kelce has helped Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls and three titles in the past five years.
“Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers,” Veach said, “and Travis is one of those players. It’s not even May yet and today we had a chance to get out there in phase two (off the offseason) and Travis was the first one in line.”
It’s not just on the field where Kelce is a star, either.
His relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to another level of celebrity, while appearances on shows such as “Saturday Night Live” have helped to make him a household name. He hosts one of the most popular podcasts across several genres with his brother and former Eagles center Jason Kelce, and he will soon host a quiz show on Amazon Prime.
But it all began on the field, where Kelce has long been considered one of the best tight ends in the game.
He missed the season opener with a knee injury last season, and he skipped the regular-season finale when the Chiefs already were assured of their playoff seeding. Those two games cost him the chance to extend his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to eight; he finished with 984 yards on 93 catches with five touchdown receptions.
