Travis Kelce has a lot to think about this off-season. One of which is his future as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.
Kelce had a dismal Super Bowl LIX performance. He made four catches for six targets for only 39 yards, but that’s not the point here. Bad Super Bowl performances come and go. Kelce is presented to the public as an integral member of the Chiefs dynasty, but if he doesn’t act fast, some decisions are going to need to be made.
The Chief’s star tight end signed a two-year deal in 2024. He has a $4.5 million non-guaranteed base salary, along with a $250,000 workout bonus and a $1 million non-guaranteed roster bonus due on the fifth day of training camp later this year.
However, according to NBC Sports, Kelce has another major pressing matter: he has a $11.5 million non-guaranteed roster bonus due on March 14. If you look at the calendar, that’s only four weeks away.
Kelce’s decision on what to do in the coming weeks, maybe even days, could impact how the Chiefs roster looks later this year. He could opt to delay the due date on the March 14th bonus, but the flip side of that coin is that the Chiefs carry his $19.8 million cap number until he potentially exits the roster.
As Travis Kelce mulls his future, the Chiefs will be hoping he makes a decision within the next four weeks, given his contract and the potential need to sign a replacement at the start of free agency. https://t.co/rObXXoJ7nP
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 13, 2025
That would also leave the Chiefs high and dry without their star tight end and slow things down on the search for a new one in the free-agent market. Many tight ends like Mike Gesicki, Tyler Conklin, or Zach Ertz are set to hit free agency and would not mind coming to play catch with Patrick Mahomes, but if Kelce were to play things like that, signings like that might not happen.
However, if Kelce were to retire or even be released, the cap hit would be lowered to $2.5 million, freeing up $17.25 million in cap space for the Chiefs this off-season.
No matter where Kelce is on vacation right now, licking the wounds of Sunday night’s Super Bowl loss, this situation is floating around in his head. The upside is that he and the Chiefs front office seem to have a good relationship.
