Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs gestures during the National Anthem prior to the game against the Las Vegas Raiders
Travis Kelce.
Travis Kelce's new contract with the Kansas City Chiefs is structured in a mutually beneficial way
Should the 36-year-old tight end choose to retire after next season, he will still receive $7 million in the next two years
Kelce is set to play his 14th season in the NFL
Travis Kelce’s new one-year contract will keep him in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform — and still pay him the following year even if he chooses to retire after this season.
The 36-year-old tight end, who announced last week that he would return for a 14th season in the NFL, has signed a contract that is worth up to $15 million with the AFC team.
The new contract allows the Chiefs to keep the New Heights podcaster at a price that essentially works for their salary cap, and he will get the remainder of his salary when and if he retires, according to SI.
Kelce’s new deal is structured in a way to manage cap hits, the outlet reported, but he still gets $12 million fully guaranteed — $3 million in base salary and $9 million in roster bonuses. Kelce is due $5 million in the coming year and then $3.5 million in 2027 and 2028.
However, the NFL vet doesn’t have to be on the active roster after this coming season in order to receive the remainder of the money.
As Kelce gears up for a wedding to fiancée Taylor Swift, he’s also made clear that he aspires to compete in new endeavors, whether they are in the entertainment industry and/or broadcasting, like older brother Jason Kelce does for ESPN on Monday Night Countdown.
Patrick Mahomes 15 and Travis Kelce 87 of the Kansas City Chiefs walk off the field together during the second quarter in the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York.
Patrick Mahomes 15 and Travis Kelce 87 of the Kansas City Chiefs walk off the field together during the second quarter in the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York.
Amid Kelce’s re-signing with the Chiefs, his quarterback has shared his excitement about the continuation of their partnership on the field.
"LFGGGGGGG!!!," Patrick Mahomes wrote in the comments on Kelce's announcement post.
Among the notable roster additions so far this offseason, the Chiefs signed Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III last week.
Walker, 25, signed a three-year contract worth up to $45 million, which includes $28.7 million fully guaranteed, according to NFL.com.
The running back led the NFL in postseason rushes (65), rush yards (313) and rushing TDs (four) over three games in January and February.
Walker will become the first Super Bowl MVP to sign with a new team the following season since since safety Dexter Jackson left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023.