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Explaining the unique contract details behind Chiefs TE Travis Kelce's two-year deal
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Explaining the unique contract details behind Chiefs TE Travis Kelce's two-year deal

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Charles Goldman  |  Last updated 4/29/24

After long being considered one of the NFL's most underpaid stars, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has  a brand new deal in place. 

What is now being called a contract adjustment, pays him $34.25 million over the next two years. It's effectively a raise to his four-year, $57.25 million contract he signed in August of 2020. However, when you peel back the curtains and look at the details, this is effectively about giving Kelce a raise for the next two seasons. 

According to the folks at Spotrac, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce will have his $17M salary in 2024 fully guaranteed at signing. He previously had no guaranteed money during the 2024 NFL season. This move should lower his cap hit for 2024 by as much as $9M depending on the exact structure, which is a nice little bonus for Kansas City. They can roll that money over into the 2025 NFL season or use it to improve the roster for 2024. 

Kelce will earn an average annual salary of $17.125M for the next two years, which ranks as the highest for a tight end in NFL history. It ousts the $17M average per year that Darren Waller got from the Giants. He'll also have the highest cash payouts of any tight end in the NFL over the next two years. 

In March of 2025, he'll have over $17M in salary become fully guaranteed for the 2025 NFL season. 

What does this mean for Chiefs TE Travis Kelce's future?

Most fans are going to see "Travis Kelce extended" and think that Kelce's going to ride this horse for the next four years until he's 38 years old. However, this is less about added years and more about taking care of Kelce in terms of guaranteed money and narrative for the next two years. He doesn't have to worry about the underpaid narrative, even if he is still underpaid relative to his receiver-like production.

At the same time, Chiefs GM Brett Veach isn't ruling out the potential that Kelce could keep playing for the life of the deal and beyond.

"Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers," Veach said. "Certainly, Travis (Kelce) is one of those players. It's funny, it's not even May yet, and today we have a chance to get out there in Phase II and guys were out there running around. Travis was the first guy in line and he looked like he was 28 years old. The odds of someone playing this far into their 30s are very low, but it does happen. And it happens with just unicorns in the profession. We'll certainly celebrate this with him and hopefully we can ride this thing even longer. We'll just have to wait and see, but he's shown no signs of slowing down and everyone notices the postseason he had, where he just found an extra gear. These special players are always able to find that extra gear, and again, if anyone can do it, Travis can."

No matter what, the contract reward Kelce for his worth and ensures that he can finish out his playing days in Kansas City. 

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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