Kelce's New Deal: Short-Term Stability for Chiefs

0:00It's March 23rd. You're listening to NFL News today, AI-powered NFL coverage. Travis Kelsey, the Kansas City Chiefs 13-year veteran tied in, re-worked his contract this week. He had signed a one-year extension earlier this month for a 14th season with a team that drafted him, but now it's a three-year packed worth. $54,700,000 total. That bumps his average annual value to more than $19 million, topping all tied-ins in the NFL. Still, the structure raises questions since it's heavily backloaded with just $12 million guaranteed and only $3 million then. Incentives for the final year. Kelsey delivered seven straight 1,000 yard seasons from 2016 to 2022, but his last two years spell short of 900. Yards each. Last season though, he caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns playing every game. Speculation points to this functioning, like a one-year deal for the 36-year-old, with

1:01most money tied to 2026, giving the Chiefs. Flexibility to part ways after this season without big penalties. The Chiefs missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2014, so locking in Kelsey's short term keeps their offense steady as they aim to rebound.