For a few weeks this offseason, it seemed possible that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could retire from the NFL. But Kelce put those rumors to rest in mid-March, as reports emerged that he would sign a one-year, $12 million deal to return to the Chiefs.
Turns out, Kelce has more football left in him than anyone expected. Kelce reportedly signed a three-year, $54.7 million contract with Kansas City on Monday, per NFL Network.
Advertisement
The Chiefs confirmed Kelce signed a contract Monday, though did not provide financial details of Kelce’s new deal.
That deal can reportedly jump to $57.7 million based on incentives. Kelce will make $12 million in Year 1.
Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season
The 36-year-old Kelce is coming off somewhat of a resurgent year with the Chiefs, in which he gained 851 yards and scored five touchdowns. The majority of that production came when quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who missed the team’s final four regular-season games due to a knee injury — was on the field.
Once Mahomes was lost for the season, Kelce hauled in 16 passes for 124 yards and no scores.
Advertisement
Following the final game of the regular season, Kelce was non-committal about his future, leading some to believe he would consider retirement. Monday’s reported contract suggests Kelce has no desire to walk away from the game soon, as he signed on for multiple seasons.
Signing on for three years, however, doesn’t mean Kelce will stick it out for the entirety of the contract. While details of his new deal are not known, it’s possible the Chiefs protected themselves with void years or other protections should Kelce decide to retire before the 2028 NFL season.
The multi-year deal does give Kelce some flexibility, though. If Mahomes isn’t able to get back as quickly as expected from his injury and the Chiefs struggle again in 2026, Kelce could opt to run it back in 2027 and team up with a — presumably — fully-healthy Mahomes…
..
[ad_2]