Travis Kelce signs three-year deal with Chiefs worth $54.735 million: Is he the highest-paid tight end in the NFL?

Travis Kelce will remain with the Kansas City Chiefs after signing the dotted line on a three-year, $54.735 million deal. After rumors of retiring, the tight end will stay, and it seems that he will keep playing for longer than anticipated.

The report was made by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Year 1 will earn him $12 million plus $3 million in incentives. Kelce will earn an average of $18.245 million per year, according to Kelce’s agent Mike Simon. Kelce has spoken on when he made the decision to return to the Chiefs.

This puts Kelce as the third-highest paid tight end by average annual value. Only 49ers’ George Kittle ($19.1 million) and Cardinals’ Trey McBride ($19 million) are above him. Kelce goes third, followed by Vikings’ TJ Hockenson at $16.5 million and Kyle Pitts from the Falcons, who is on a $16 million franchise tag.

Kelce’s career also seem to find a new lease of life

Kelce has been near retirement for the last couple of years. However, signing a three-year deal might indicate he does want to play even further. While this doesn’t prohibit Kelce from retiring sooner if he so wishes, it’s a sign on the player’s intentions. However, the contract is structured for this to be his final season, allowing the cap hits to be spread over the added years.

Kelce led the Chiefs in receiving yards last season with 852 yards. He also had five touchdowns. While he is not the best tight end in the NFL anymore, he surely is still a certified menace at the position.

The Chiefs still need to bring some skill players in

While keeping Kelce is good news, that doesn’t mean the team can rest on its laurels. The Chiefs still need a proper star at wide receiver. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are talented, but in no way, shape or form are they WR1 material.