'Kansas City, I Love You!' Travis Kelce Discusses Contract Extension
One Arrowhead Drive felt a lot different when tight end Travis Kelce was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft.
Four months earlier, the Chiefs parted ways with former head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli after the team put up a 2-14 record, the team's worst season in franchise history.
Then, enter Andy Reid, one of the decision-makers in selecting Kelce. Fast forward to 2020, and the Chiefs are defending a Super Bowl Championship for the first time in 50 years with the tight end under contract for six more seasons.
“I’m happy with where I am because of the guy that is up front leading the charge — that’s Clark Hunt, the Hunt family, with what they’ve done, bringing in Coach Andy Reid,” Kelce told reporters in a virtual press conference on Friday. “I thought that was his best move ever in his life, bringing in Andy Reid, because what he does to an organization is take them to a Super Bowl. It’s clear to see his track record and what he’s done here and what he’s going to do in the future.”
Kelce’s four-year extension follows four consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons. He is the first tight end to achieve that statistical accomplishment.
Kelce was the only Chiefs pass-catcher to top 1,000 yeards in 2016 and 2019, but was joined by Tyreek Hill in 2017 and 2018.
Kelce has not missed a single game due to injury since spending most of his rookie year on the injured reserve, other than a healthy scratch in Week 17 of the 2017 season. His top two seasons in both yardage and snap percentage have occurred with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have great teammates around me, great coaches to put me to the position to succeed, and on top of that, great trainers in the training room,” Kelce said. “You can’t underestimate or leave them out of the puzzle, man. Rehab and keeping guys on the field is arguably half the job in the NFL because we know how physically demanding it is. I’m been very fortunate to have this circle of success around me and it just keeps getting better and better knowing the front office and Coach Reid are going to bring in guys to help us win.”
Kelce’s four-year, $57.25 million extension leaves him under contract until the end of the 2026 season. He is under the Chiefs' control for the second-longest into the future, behind Mahomes, whose deal expires in 2031.
Behind them are kicker Harrison Butker and offensive tackle Lucas Niang, who are slated to be with Kansas City until 2025. Niang’s deal was originally slated to end in 2024 before he opted out of his rookie season.
Kelce said the overall culture is what makes staying with the Chiefs long term worth it.
“Just overall, it’s a fun atmosphere when it’s time to come to work,” Kelce said. “Guys don’t want to leave that. Guys want to keep building off that. It’s a beautiful thing when you have ownership trust in you and want to make change with you in terms of the season and the community. On top of that, just going out there and playing football with guys who come to work every single day and fight their tail off. It’s a beautiful thing, and you know what, this community — Kansas City, I love you and I’m thankful that I’m going to be here for the next six years.”
