Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has consistently produced as one of the league’s best pass-catchers, yet his salary has never really reflected it. Yes, he’s been paid atop his position group, but Kelce’s average per year doesn’t even reach half of what the top receivers in the NFL now make annually.
In a recent feature from Vanity Fair’s Tom Kludt, Kelce peeled back the curtains on the internal debate that often plays out regarding his pay.
“My managers and agents love to tell me how underpaid I am,” Kelce told Kludt. “Any time I talk about wanting more money, they’re just like, ‘Why don’t you go to the Chiefs and ask them?’”
Kelce has previously indicated that he intends to play his entire career in Kansas City. We also now know that he wants to keep playing in the NFL “until the wheels fall off.” He’s helped the team out financially, restructuring his deal at times to help with salary cap space, and receiving an advance on pay in return.
The 33-year-old remains grounded knowing that he’s in a great situation and playing for a winning team, yet everywhere he turns, there seems to be a reminder that he could be and probably should be earning more.
“When I saw Tyreek (Hill) 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. “I’m like, the free market looks like fun until you go somewhere and you don’t win. I love winning. I love the situation I’m in.”
Despite his love for winning, Kelce can’t help but feel at times that he’s being taken advantage of — perhaps not by the team but by the greater system in play in the NFL. It’s like the debates centered around the franchise tag and players who play the OLB and DE positions. When your value is attached to a specific position designation, is it truly fair when you consistently exceed the norm for that position?
“You see how much more money you could be making and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit,” Kelce said. “It makes you think you’re being taken advantage of.”
Upsetting the system could spell trouble for Kelce. Maybe he gets what he believes his play and production are worth, but perhaps it comes at the cost of playing in Kansas City and for a winning team.
Right now, his priorities are clear. He loves what he does and where he’s doing it.
“I don’t know if I really pressed the gas if I would get what I’m quote-unquote worth,” Kelce said. “But I know I enjoy coming to that building every single day.”
