Travis Kelce: My Agents Tell Me How 'Underpaid' I Am, But I 'Love' Playing for Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce is not one to complain about his salary, but that hasn't stopped his associates from doing so.

"My managers and agents love to tell me how underpaid I am," Kelce told Tom Kludt of Vanity Fair. "Any time I talk about wanting more money, they're just like, 'Why don't you go to the Chiefs and ask them?'"

However, Kelce added that he loves playing for the Chiefs, who are coming off their second Super Bowl title in the last four seasons.

Kelce, who signed a four-year, $57 million extension in 2020 that keeps him under contract through the 2025 season, is the third-highest paid tight end in the league, per Over The Cap. As an All-Pro selection in each of the last seven years, he's arguably the best player at his position in the NFL and undoubtedly Kansas City's most important offensive player not named Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs have already had to sacrifice other key players due to the NFL's salary cap constraints. Last offseason, star receiver Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins, who rewarded him with a four-year, $120 million extension.

While Kelce said he would love to be making a similar salary, he's content in Kansas City because he values winning above all else.

"When I saw Tyreek go and get 30 [million] a year, in the back of my head, I was like, man, that's two to three times what I'm making right now," Kelce said. "I'm like, the free market looks like fun until you go somewhere and you don't win. I love winning. I love the situation I'm in."

However, the 34-year-old admitted he sometimes has thoughts about being underpaid.

"You see how much more money you could be making and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit. It makes you think you're being taken advantage of," Kelce said. "I don't know if I really pressed the gas if I would get what I'm quote-unquote worth. ... But I know I enjoy coming to that building every single day."

After losing JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency this year, the Chiefs are without an obvious No. 1 option at wide receiver, which will make Kelce once again the focal point of the team's passing attack. His connection with Mahomes is unmatched, so the two of them will continue to make magic on the field together in hopes of winning another championship.

The Chiefs will begin that quest when they play the NFL season opener on Sept. 7 against the Detroit Lions.