USATSI
Travis Kelce has been the best receiver in the NFL over the past six seasons, yet isn’t getting paid like one of the top receivers in the league (although he’s paid as one of the top tight ends). Kelce is more than OK with his current salary and doesn’t care about the moniker that he’s underpaid.
The Kansas City Chiefs are winning games, which justifies his contract.
“I signed my contract understanding what I had,” Kelce said, via Pro Football Talk. “I put a lot into this, money in my mind is almost secondary at this point in my career. I’m here for the legacy and I’m here to try and make the Kansas City Chiefs the best team possible.”
Kelce has 7,269 receiving yards since the start of the 2016 season, the most of any player in the league. Davante Adams is second with 7,192 yards during that span while Julio Jones is third with 7,129 and DeAndre Hopkins fourth with 7,048. Kelce is also one of 19 players in NFL history with six consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards and the only tight end to accomplish the feat. Kelce is the only tight end in league history with six 1,000-yard seasons — and no other player has five. (Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, and Tony Gonzalez each have four.)
Despite this incredible production, Kelce makes just $14.3 million in average annual salary. Adams makes $28 million and Hopkins makes $27.3 million in average annual salary — almost double of what Kelce makes.
Kelce is fine with his current contract. He’s looking toward to getting the Chiefs another Super Bowl title, especially being the go-to receiver in the new-look offense.
“That’s the excitement in my mind,” Kelce said. “I think it has to be a new offense with what the offensive staff does and Spags (Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) on the defensive side. They look at the personnel that they have and don’t get caught up in their specific scheme but build the scheme around the pieces that they’ve got.
“That’s going to be the excitement this year is teams are going to have to see how we’re going to come out and attack them. With a guy like 15 (Patrick Mahomes) out there, who knows where to go for the ball. I think it can be an advantage for sure.”