The Kansas City Chiefs player has deals with Dick’s Sporting Goods, LG, McDonald’s, Nike, Old Spice, Papa John’s, Pfizer and State Farm, and he bought a US$6 million mansion.
His relationship with Swift has also been good for his wallet – his podcast New Heights grew by 350,000 subscribers on YouTube following their initial dating rumors.
On Monday, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce signed a two-year contract worth US$34.25 million, making him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, CNN reported, citing his representatives at Milk & Honey Sports.
But while Kelce, 34, is widely known for his talent on the football field (and, of course, his relationship with Taylor Swift), he’s also built an impressive resume of endorsement deals, investments and side hustles – like his popular podcast, New Heights – that contribute to his multimillion-dollar net worth. Get to know the three-time Super Bowl champion – and how he makes and spends his millions.
Travis Kelce is known as one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. At 6ft 5 (195cm) and 250 pounds (113kg), Kelce has been an impact player since his early days in the league. After a successful but somewhat tumultuous college university with the Cincinnati Bearcats, Kelce slipped to the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, where the Chiefs were waiting with the 63rd overall pick.
Kelce’s star kept rising from there. In 2016, the blossoming tight end recorded his first season with over 1,000 receiving yards; his 1,125-yard total was a league-high for players at his position that season.
But it was the introduction of Patrick Mahomes – a generational quarterback with a remarkable connection to Kelce – to the Chiefs that brought the Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native from great to indomitable.
Kelce is one of four tight ends in NFL history with 10,000 or more receiving yards, per StatMuse – but perhaps, most notably, Kelce has won three Super Bowls and contributed significantly to the dynasty the franchise has built in Kansas City.
During his 11-year career, Kelce has earned tens of millions of dollars in the NFL. Like most rookies in the NFL – aside from those drafted in the first round – Kelce began his professional football career with a relatively humble salary. He received a four-year, US$3.12 million rookie contract with a US$703,304 signing bonus, per Sportrac. But in 2016, after proving himself over his first few seasons with the Chiefs, Kelce signed a massive contract extension to stay in Kansas City. He earned US$46.8 million for five years – plus a US$10 million signing bonus – to average nearly eight figures in annual salary. Those numbers ballooned come 2020, when he agreed to a four-year contract worth US$57.2 million, or US$14.3 million per year.
And now, Kelce’s signed a two-year contract extension worth US$34.25 million – to make him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
Kelce founded his charity, Eighty-Seven & Running, in 2015 with a goal of helping underprivileged youth stay motivated to achieve great things in life “through fundraising, athletic programmes, mentoring, and outreach initiatives”, according to the organisation’s website.
Kelce has also splurged on fashion, cars and property. Earlier this year, he bought a US$6 million mansion. The tight end seemingly spends some of his millions on an opulent lifestyle fit for an NFL superstar. Kelce loves fashion, and he regularly wears designer clothes, expensive jewellery, rare collectors’ trainers, and luxury accessories.
