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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce earned his fifth consecutive Professional Bowl choice in 2019.
Because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs drafted TE Travis Kelce with the 63rd total decide within the 2013 NFL Draft, the eighth-year professional has turn out to be one of many league’s most adorned playmakers. In 2019 alone, Kelce compiled his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, fifth consecutive Professional Bowl nod and first Tremendous Bowl title.
Because the years go by and Kansas Metropolis approaches just a few franchise-altering monetary choices with the contracts of QB Patrick Mahomes, DT Chris Jones and others, questions of how lengthy the Chiefs can maintain the band collectively have already begun to come up.
As part of Tyrann Mathieu’s “Radiothon” on 610 Sports activities Radio late final week, the two-time All-Professional tight finish joined “The Drive” to debate a variety of matters, together with his ideas on early retirement or doubtlessly taking part in for an additional franchise sooner or later.
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Right here have been Kelce’s full feedback, per Arrowhead Satisfaction:
“I all the time say I wish to play this recreation so long as I can,” mentioned Kelce. “There’s an entire lot of fact behind that, and I really like taking part in in Kansas Metropolis. I can’t even fathom carrying one other jersey. I can’t fathom taking part in underneath a distinct coach, underneath a distinct group. Everyone right here is aware of that I really like this metropolis for every thing that it has given me, it has given the Chiefs since I’ve been right here, and I don’t plan on taking part in wherever else for the remainder of my profession. So long as the Hunt household is providing me a test to return again each single 12 months, I really feel like I’m going to be right here as a result of I really like taking part in for this group and clearly, coach Reid.”
Financials May Impression Kelce’s Staying Energy
Kelce most not too long ago signed a five-year, $46.eight million extension in early 2016 and stays underneath contract by the conclusion of the 2021 season. The 30-year-old presently accounts for the sixth-highest common annual wage ($9.36M) on the Chiefs roster and the third-highest amongst all tight ends — trailing solely Hunter Henry ($10.6M) and Austin Hooper ($10.5M).
Whereas Kelce has but to indicate any instant indicators of slowing down bodily, the potential of the franchise needing to make a troublesome choice on considered one of their star receivers within the coming seasons stays on the desk. Particularly contemplating that the defending Tremendous Bowl champions presently dedicate the biggest proportion of their wage cap allotment (19.02%) to the broad receiver place and eighth-most (6.11%) to the tight finish spot, per Spotrac.
Kelce’s place on the roster this season is as near a lock as any participant across the NFL, however the star tight finish carries zero useless cap cash into his age-31 season in 2021. Assuming Mahomes resets the market with a mega-deal previous to the beginning of the 2020 season, this could possibly be one thing price monitoring within the coming years.
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