Chiefs were wise to give Travis Kelce a raise

It’s rare for teams to rip up the remaining years on a player’s contract and replace them with more.

It’s so rare that there was widespread confusion that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s new two-year deal was an extension to the two years on his existing deal.

The reality is that, like the Rams did with Aaron Donald two years ago, the Chiefs ripped up the two years that were left and put two new years in.

The Chiefs gave Kelce a $4 million raise for 2024, no strings attached, pushing his salary to $17 million. For 2025, the $17.5 million he’s due to make becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year.

The seeds for the contract fix were planted during the season, we’re told. Kelce’s representatives communicated their feelings to the Chiefs during the 2023 season.