Breaking Down Travis Kelce's Four-Year Extension
After San Fransisco 49ers tight end George Kittle inked a historic deal, the Kansas City Chiefs wasted no time in extending their star tight end. The team came to a four-year, $57.25 million contract extension with Travis Kelce Thursday. The Arrowhead Report team reacts to the deal and breaks down what's to come in Kansas City.
Conner Christopherson: Travis Kelce's extension was expected to happen at some point due to his man-crush on Patrick Mahomes, but his extension does have some implications on the Chiefs’ salary cap going forward. Brett Veach seems to be unphased by the rumored drop in salary cap in 2021, as the Chiefs are ~$20 million above the potential minimum salary cap in 2021 of $175 million. Veach also seems unphased about having a large chunk of the roster under very expensive long-term deals going forward. Tyreek Hill, Frank Clark, Chris Jones, Patrick Mahomes, and now Travis Kelce all take up a sizeable chunk of the Chiefs' cap for many years to come. Kelce was always a player the Chiefs would keep, however, as he is a key cog that keeps the offense churning. Keeping Kelce as long as possible for Mahomes' first half of his career is a no-brainer move.
Jordan Foote: The Chiefs are all-in on maxing out the current core they have, and I don’t blame them. Travis Kelce is arguably the best tight end in the league, and with his contract extension in place, pairing him and Patrick Mahomes up for the next six years should ensure the NFL’s most lethal offense has all the potential in the world moving forward. It was a no-brainer of a deal and, thanks to George Kittle, the value is good as Kelce rakes in the dough and remains a Chief for life.
Sam Hays: Travis Kelce, like George Kittle with his deal coming just hours before Kelce’s, is worth every penny of this deal, and really, both are worth more than what they got. Kelce is the first tight end in NFL history to have four consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons and he continues to play a crucial role in the Chiefs’ most important games and situations. He is also a much better blocker than his reputation gives him. If you want to actually talk about a great receiving tight end who isn’t much of a blocker, look no further than the one who is reportedly getting their deal next, Zach Ertz. Kelce has had a 60+ PFF run-blocking grade in five of his six seasons in the NFL, while Ertz has had a sub-55 PFF run-blocking grade in each of the last three seasons. Weird how you don’t hear Ertz get any comments about his blocking while Kelce gets bombarded with them. Nevertheless, Kittle and Kelce are the clear 1a and 1b of tight ends and both are on pace for a first-ballot entry into Canton. Just enjoy watching both in their quest to perfect tight end play.
Joe Andrews: Remember that story I wrote about Travis Kelce having the possibility to move past Tony Gonzalez in a few categories on the Chiefs’ All-Time list? It’s basically guaranteed to happen now. Kelce’s four-straight 1,000-yard seasons show he is a one-of-a-kind athlete focused on winning while developing a Hall of Fame career. Kansas City just got better because 8-7 is in town long-term.
Mark Van Sickle: The dynasty talk continues to look more like it can become a reality with each passing day. In Brett Veach we trust. First, it was Mahomes, then Chris Jones and now Travis Kelce. The future Hall of Fame tight end will get the money he deserves and has the opportunity to finish his career as a Kansas City Chief. It is a win-win for team, player and fans. The Chiefs continue their impressive 2020 offseason and can now focus on winning back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
Jacob Harris: Yes.
What do you think of the deal? Let us know in the comment section below.
