Travis Kelce’s contract has made him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league. Looking ahead to the 2023 NFL season, what is the shape of Kelce’s contract, his cap number next year, and the Kansas City Chiefs‘ options over the coming years?
Travis Kelce’s Contract Details
Kelce’s contract is a four-year, $57.25 million deal that includes $22.75 million in guarantees. His average annual salary is $14.313 million, and the contract contained no signing bonus. In 2023, Kelce will count for $14.802 million against the Chiefs’ salary cap, with a base salary of $11.25 million.
The contract for Kelce is a four-year extension that was signed in 2020 when he still had two years remaining on his previous deal. That made the 2022 season the first of the extension that is set to run through the 2025 season, with Kelce a potential unrestricted free agent in 2026.
While Kelce had no signing bonus in his original deal, his salary and roster bonuses through 2020 and 2021 were guaranteed. In 2021, Kansas City converted $5.6 million of his 2021 roster bonus into a signing bonus. That is prorated at $1.4 million between 2021 and 2025. Then, in 2022, the Chiefs converted $4.607 million in salary to another signing bonus — prorating at $1.152 million between 2022 and 2025.
Kelce’s cap number in 2023 is set to be $14.802 million — the fourth-highest cap number at the position. His 2023 cap hit is broken down as follows:
- Salary: $11.25 million
- Per-Game Active Bonus: $750,000
$44,117 per game (16 LTBE) - Restructure 1 (Prorated): $1.4 million
- Restructure 1 (Prorated): $1.152 million
- Workout Bonus: $250,000
- 2023 Cap Number: $14.802 million
The lack of a signing bonus in Kelce’s contract does provide the team with some flexibility. While it seems unlikely they would look to cut or trade him, if they were going to, his dead money numbers are relatively low. In 2023, Kelce’s dead money would be $7.655 million as a pre-June 1 trade or release.
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What seems more likely is that Kansas City will once again restructure Kelce’s deal to move some of the salary into a signing bonus. They could potentially reduce his cap number for 2023 by around $6.67 million without adding any void years. However, if the Chiefs add two void years to the deal, they could take his 2023 cap number down by around $8 million.
Kelce’s Net Worth
Kelce’s net worth is estimated to be around $20-25 million, having spent 10 years in the league. Through those 10 years, Kelce’s NFL career earnings are $64.782 million. If he plays out the remainder of his current contract, Kelce would have earned $107.282 million in his career.