The Arizona Cardinals did what they had to do, which means the NFL player market adjusted how it always does. And every further movement only shows the Kansas City Chiefs just how lucky they’ve been with Travis Kelce.
The Cardinals recently found a way to lock up one of their few offensive stars with a long-term contract extension for tight end Trey McBride. ESPN reporter Adam Schefter reported the terms of the deal as a four-year signing worth up to $78 million. That gave McBride’s reps the bragging rights to call him the highest-paid tight end in the game.
Of course, such terms of a deal aren’t always reached, and McBride will have to remain healthy and productive to get there, but there are good reasons to believe he will be fine. McBride has been a sensational addition for the Cardinals since being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. And for a Cardinals’ offense looking for more firepower, keeping McBride around for the long haul was a vital development.
Last season, McBride even made his first Pro Bowl after hauling in 111 catches for 1,146 receiving yards. That followed up a season in which he had 825 receiving yards in his sophomore year, making it clear he’s going to be a primary target for Arizona for years to come.
Whether or not NFL fans think McBride is worthy of being paid at such a level (with his $19 million annual average value), the important point for Chiefs Kingdom is the (even greater) realization that Travis Kelce has been a steal for a very, very long time.
Even now, if McBride is going to be a primary pass-catcher for the Cardinals’ offense, the going rate at $19 million is a nice discount of its own. Given the going rate for elite wideouts eclipsing the $30 million mark—and even Ja’Marr Chase is earning $40M annually, being able to lean on a tight end for 100+ targets a year at two-thirds (or less) of that price is a great value for a front office.
That’s what makes Kelce even more special for the Chiefs over the years. While it’s still diminished, it’s only in the last few seasons that the tight end market has even grown as robust as it has. The truth is that Kelce was often the NFL’s most underpaid offensive asset for most of his career.
Through the 2024 season, Kelce only had five years of being paid $10M or more. While no one should feel bad for a player with $93M in career earnings (and loads more for his off-the-field ventures), the truth is that 10 other NFL players have current contracts that could earn them more than Kelce has earned in his entire 12-year career thus far (through 2024).
To drill down even further, the Chiefs have leaned on Kelce to break every record at the position with 1,004 receptions, 12,151 receiving yards, and 77 touchdowns over the last 12 NFL seasons. And he’s done so all that time for just $1M more than what Calvin Ridley’s current contract with the Tennessee Titans is worth.
Say what you will about McBride’s current deal, but at the very least, it shines a spotlight on the overall value and importance of tight ends for a team’s budgeting process. For the Chiefs, it allowed other money to be used elsewhere even as Kelce was carrying an offense that helped a team establish a dynasty with three Super Bowl rings and five championship appearances.
Not only has Travis Kelce turned in the most obvious Hall of Fame case possible, but he will also be remembered as the biggest steal for a franchise in its golden era—and an incredibly lucky turn for the Chiefs.
