Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will play for the franchise through at least the 2027 NFL season after he signed a massive contract extension on Monday.
The 34-year-old, who has been dating pop singer Taylor Swift since last fall, is now the league’s highest-paid tight end after he inked a two-year extension with the Chiefs worth $34.25 million, ESPN reported.
According to the sports outlet, $17 million is fully guaranteed while most of the remainder will be guaranteed when the 2025 league year begins.
Kelce celebrated the news in a post on the social media platform X.
“It feels good to be in KC,” he said. “I remember coming here 12 years ago, man. It’s an honor and a pleasure, and I can’t wait to get after it these next two years.”
Chiefs forever 🫶 Tell ‘em, @tkelce! pic.twitter.com/88VtkjdPct
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 29, 2024
Kelce added that he was already “fired up” for the coming season.
Should Kelce have gotten this extension?
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chimed in after NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport shared the news about Kelce’s deal online.
Mahomes celebrated the opportunity to continue to throw to one of his favorite targets.
I told yall I’ll never let him leave!! Congrats my guy! @tkelce https://t.co/9sqkZY8mU8
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 29, 2024
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in a statement to ESPN that it was important to him and the team’s ownership to lock down the star tight end for another two years and to pay him what they felt he had earned.
“Hard to put in words what Travis means to this organization, this city, and he was certainly a priority to adjust his contract for us, and it was something that was important for Clark [Hunt],” Veach said. “So very fitting that Travis [is] now the highest-paid tight end in these two years.”
Kelce landed in Kansas City after he was picked up by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft after four years with the University of Cincinnati.
Since Mahomes was drafted by the team four years later in 2017 the duo have won three Super Bowls together.
The Chiefs have played in four of the last five league championships — losing to the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-9 to end what had been a stellar 2020 season in Super Bowl LV.
Kelce caught nine passes for 93 yards in Super Bowl LVIII in February, which helped lead the Chiefs to a 25-22 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
The tight end has 11,328 career receiving yards for 74 touchdown receptions.
Kelce also has two career rushing touchdowns.
