Chiefs’ Travis Kelce just made a shocking 3-year, $54.7 million commitment to avoiding retirement initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
NFL followers had been bowled over once they noticed the contract Travis Kelce signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Turns out the legendary tight finish did not just signal a one-year deal, as had been reported. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarified in a post on X on Monday that the deal is for 3 years, placing all types of questions on Kelce’s retirement into the air.
First, these particulars from Rapoport:
“#Chiefs Pro Bowl TE Travis Kelce has signed his contract, officially locking him in for 2026. It’s a 3-year, $54.735M deal that can be worth up to $57.735M ($18.245M average) done by agent Mike Simon… Year 1 is $12M plus 3M in incentives.”
So it isn’t one yr, it is three? And for $54.7 million, which works out to greater than $18 million per yr?
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Something’s gotta give right here, proper?
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Well, let’s break it down.
The actuality is that at his age, Kelce goes to year-to-year on his retirement choice no matter his contract standing.
Whether he is on a one-year deal or a 10-year deal, the 36-year previous Kelce will spend the opening portion of every offseason deciding whether or not he is had sufficient.
So in that sense, the size of the deal nearly does not matter. The solely cause it is vital for Kelce is probably going that it means when he will get to his subsequent private choice about retirement, he’ll know he is nonetheless below contract with the Chiefs. Heading into this offseason, Kelce additionally had to fear in regards to the prospect of free company.
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Kansas City may’ve additionally structured the cash on this deal in all types of ways in which hamper the Chiefs’ books much less if Kelce does solely keep for one yr. The Chiefs do not have to pay a participant as soon as retired, so the additional years may just be a matter of optics.
All that is recognized for certain is that Kelce will play for the Chiefs in 2026. Beyond that’s anybody’s guess.
