When the Kansas City Chiefs and their superstar tight end Travis Kelce agreed to a revision of the final two years of his contract on Monday, we only knew the broad strokes of the deal. The contract was reported to be worth $34.25 million over the two years, making Kelce the league’s most highly-paid tight end.
On Thursday, the salary-cap site OverTheCap published contract details it obtained from its own sources. The reported information correct — but as always, the contract’s details have a story to tell.
In 2024, Kelce had been due to earn a $12 million salary and a $250,000 workout bonus, along with a per-game roster bonus totaling $662,000. His cap hit also carried a $2.6 million proration from contract restructures that created cap space in previous seasons. This added up to $12.9 million in salary and bonuses — and a 2024 cap hit of $15.5 million.
The new deal reduces his 2024 base salary to $5.75 million. The per-game roster bonus is replaced with a single $11 million roster bonus. This bonus — along with his salary and workout bonus for the coming season — bring his 2024 compensation up to $17 million. The whole amount was guaranteed at signing. So Kelce was given a $4.1 million raise for the coming season, which pushes his 2024 cap hit to $19.6 million.
So far, so good. But what makes this deal interesting is that in 2025, Kelce’s deal now includes a single $12.5 million roster bonus to go along with a base salary that was reduced from $16.25 million to $4.5 million. A 2025 per-game roster bonus totaling $750,000 was also eliminated from 2025, but his $250,000 workout bonus remains. This adds up to exactly the same money Kelce was already set to earn in 2025: $17.25 million.
None of Kelce’s 2025 compensation is presently guaranteed — but as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on Monday, under the new deal, “most” of the $17.25 million he will earn next season will become guaranteed this coming March.
Presuming that Breer’s “most” refers to 2025’s $12.5 million roster bonus (OverTheCap does not reference this detail of the deal), this means that if Kelce chooses to retire (or the Chiefs decide to move on from him) before 2025’s league year begins, Kansas City would be left with only the final $2.6 million proration from previous signing bonuses as dead money.
But if Kelce and the Chiefs agree that he should return in 2025, he’ll be guaranteed to earn at least $12.5 million — and whatever happens after that, both sides will be free of any obligation (and the team will have no dead money from Kelce’s deal) in 2026.
Including all known transactions — and with 81 players under contract — we now estimate that Kansas City has $15.2 million in cap space.
FAQs
The new deal reduces his 2024 base salary to $5.75 million. The per-game roster bonus is replaced with a single $11 million roster bonus. This bonus — along with his salary and workout bonus for the coming season — bring his 2024 compensation up to $17 million. The whole amount was guaranteed at signing.
What was Travis Kelce's new contract worth? ›
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs gave tight end Travis Kelce a significant raise with a new two-year contract Monday. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the deal is worth $34.25 million with $17 million fully guaranteed for this season and most of the rest to be guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year.
What is Travis Kelce's contract extension? ›
Star tight end Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs recently agreed to a two-year contract extension worth up to $34.3 million. Kelce, who turns 35 in October, now has the highest-paying contract for a tight end in NFL history in both total value and average annual salary.
How much was Jason Kelce's contract with ESPN? ›
Steve Brenner of the Sun reports that ESPN has snagged Kelce with a three-year contract worth $1.8 million per year for his appearances on their Monday night football coverage. Not to mention, there's a sweet $1 million sign-on bonus included in the package.
Who is the highest paid TE in the NFL? ›
As such, the position has seen its salaries go on an upward swing. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce tops the list of the highest-paid NFL tight ends. At $17.13 million per year, Kelce leads a star-studded top five, including Darren Waller, T.J. Hockenson, George Kittle, and Dallas Goedert.
Who is the highest paid NFL player? ›
The Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow is the highest paid player in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa is the highest paid defensive player in the league.
What is Jason Kelce's new job? ›
Jason Kelce has a new job. ESPN officially announced on Tuesday that the Eagles great will be joining the network's Monday Night Football coverage as an in-studio analyst on its pregame show after signing a multi-year deal.
How much has Travis Kelce made in his career? ›
According to Over The Cap, his $13 million salary for the 2024 campaign and his $17.3 million salary in 2025 were set to bring his career earnings to $108.5 million, so Monday's extension will bump that figure to over $142.8 million by the time he hangs up his cleats.
How much was tyreek hill contract with miami? ›
Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown -- surpassed Tyreek Hill's $30 million-per-year benchmark. However, even before those two stars put pen to paper on their new contracts, the Miami Dolphins wideout was looking to adjust his deal.
Is Travis Kelce still with Taylor Swift? ›
Months after Travis Kelce said he tried to shoot his shot with Taylor Swift at one of her concerts in the summer of 2023, the two are still going strong.
“Chiefs forever!” The contract extension for the Pro Bowl tight end adds two years and $34.25 million to the two years remaining on his old contract. He now has $17 million in fully guaranteed money in 2024 and is signed through 2027 when he'll be 38.
What is Travis Kelce's 40 yard? ›
However, at his pro day with the Bearcats, he clocked a respectable 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash. While not breaking records like Vernon Davis or Dorin Dickerson, Kelce's performance was commendable given the circ*mstances.
How much is Deion Sanders Cowboys contract? ›
Deion Sanders signed a 5 year , $51,500,000 contract with the Dallas Cowboys, including $2,500,000 signing bonus, $2,500,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $10,300,000.
How much was Emmitt Smith contract? ›
Emmitt Smith signed a 4 year , $13,501,000 contract with the Dallas Cowboys, including $4,000,000 signing bonus, and an average annual salary of $3,375,250.
What is Travis Kelce's car? ›
In essence, Travis Kelce's choice of the Aston Martin Vanquish is not just about owning a high-performance vehicle; it's a statement of appreciating automotive excellence, design sophistication, and the thrill of driving a true work of art on wheels.
What was Tyreek Hill's new contract? ›
When the Dolphins traded for receiver Tyreek Hill two years ago, he got a four-year, $120 million extension that was, and is, a three-year, $75 million deal. As noted earlier today, the contract hasn't aged well. As it turns out, Hill has been aware of that. And there has been an effort to rectify it.
