Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce deal a statement and confirmation
Whether it’s making fun of Tom Brady, taunting the refs, or signing on to star in a reality dating show, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has become an NFL icon for stuff other than his play, but Kelce is now paid like one of the best at his position; something that accurately reflects how well he’s performed over the past couple of seasons.
The Kansas City Chiefs handed Justin Houston a fat contract last offseason, which came to the surprise of exactly nobody. Not only is Houston the Chiefs most talented player, but he’s one of the best in the business and arguably the top 3-4 outside linebacker in the league today. More telling, though, was the Chiefs decision to hand star tight end Travis Kelce a big extension that pays him more than the recently-extended Zach Ertz, because this contract comes during a time when the Chiefs will have to worry about several key impending free agents in Eric Berry, Tamba Hali, Sean Smith, and Jaye Howard.
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To me, this contract goes beyond just locking up Kelce and paying him what he’s worth in this league. This deal is about making a statement, and that statement is that Kelce is becoming the face of the Chiefs franchise. OK, fine, there are plenty of people who fit this distinction in Howard, Berry (please keep him), Jamaal Charles, and even Jeremy Maclin.
But there’s something special about Kelce. He’s a stud pass-catcher on a team with just three true stars on offense, he has the type of fun-loving nature that’s easy to get behind, and he’s a “homegrown” talent (unlike Maclin).
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A five-year, $46 million extension with $20.5 million in guarantees seems like an awful lot of coin, especially since Kelce now makes more money per season than Rob Gronkowski. But recall that contracts go up, salary caps go up, and that Kelce is still making less money per season than Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 free agent addition Julius Thomas.
Moreoever, Kelce is just 26. Those five years Kelce will be playing for the Chiefs will be his prime years, and we have every reason to believe he will dominate in those seasons. This is a guy who is fresh off of back-to-back 850-yard, five-TD seasons, and he hauled in a career-high 72 receptions despite being moderately under-utilized.
Yes, Maclin had the more impressive 2015 season, but Alex Smith looked to Kelce more frequently on third and fourth downs. Kelce finished the season with a catch rate just under 70%, and while Maclin’s catch rate, yards per reception, and touchdowns were higher, there is one more number to consider when talking about Kelce.
It isn’t easy to find tight ends who can block and make huge plays, and the Chiefs starting TE is the second-best playmaker at the position behind Gronk. Seriously, no other WR or TE with at least 40 receptions had more yards after the catch per reception than Gronk or Kelce, who also boasted a high yards after the catch average in 2014.
With 7.4 YAC per reception last season, Kelce was second in the NFL behind Gronkowski, and he proves time after time that he can make plays on his own. Heading into the best years of his career under a new contract, you can only imagine what his numbers could look like in the near future, since he’s only going to get better.
Smith needs receivers who can make plays with the ball in their hands, and what’s better than a 6’5″, 26o-pound mis-match who is an explosive playmaker after the catch? Kelce is the perfect weapon for Smith, and the fact that he also helps Charles out in the running game is what made him so important for the Chiefs to keep.
Sure, Smith’s accuracy helps Kelce absorb plenty of catches, but I can’t shake off the feeling that he’d be even more dynamic with a less limited QB, especially after watching him beast in the Pro Bowl.
It’s hard to pinpoint any specific player as a “face of the franchise” for the Chiefs, and I’m sure that designation still belongs to Charles, unless if a defensive player like Berry or Houston has taken over.
But at 26, as a former third-round pick by the team, and as an ascending TE who has this aura of awesomeness caused by his humor and new TV show, Kelce is reaching that realm of being a future Chiefs legend.
It’s been just two seasons and there are still some wrinkles that need ironing out, but this recent contract, which was well-deserved, is confirmation that we should all be extremely high on his talent.
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They call him “Zeus” for a reason, but, then again, he isn’t invincible just yet, which is something I’m sure Patrick Chung would be quick to point out.