Travis Kelce's new three-year contract is really a one-year deal

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Technically, tight end Travis Kelce has signed a new three-year deal with the Chiefs. And it's a true three-year contract, without voidable years. It's structured to be a one-year deal, with what amounts to a placeholder provision for 2027. Per a source with knowledge of the terms, the contract pays $12 million in 2026. The money comes in the form of a fully-guaranteed $3 million base salary, a $3 million fully-guaranteed reporting bonus earned on the fifth day of training camp, and a whopping $6 million in per-game roster bonuses — $352,941 for each of 17 regular-season games. The per-game roster bonuses are fully-guaranteed, and they'll be treated as earned if he's on the 53-man roster (active on game days or not), on injured reserve, or on the physically unable to perform list. He'll only not get the payments if he's on the non-football illness/injury list. For 2026, the contract includes incentives of up to $3 million. He gets up to $2 million if the Chiefs make the playoffs. For a postseason berth and 60 percent regular-season playing time, he gets an extra $750,000. At 70 percent regular-season playing time (also with a playoff berth), Kelce receives $1 million. At 80 percent regular-season playing time, and a playoff berth, the number maxes out at $2 million. A Super Bowl berth and 60 percent regular-season playing time qualifies him for another $250,000. A Super Bowl berth and 70 percent regular-season playing time pushes the number to $1 million. The contract has minimum salaries for 2027 and 2028, along with a $40 million roster bonus in 2028. The roster bonus becomes fully guaranteed as of June 8, 2027. This means that he'll either be released or placed on the reserve/retired list before June 8 — unless the deal is restructured to modify or eliminate the roster bonus. It essentially gives the Chiefs extended dibs on keeping Kelce in 2027, if he decides to play another year. And it gives both sides three extra months after the start of the league year to figure something out, while also keeping Kelce off the open market. (That term suggests that, yes, other teams had interest in his services for 2026.) So, yes, it's a three-year deal. However, unless the contract is renegotiated, the remaining two years will be torn up before June 8, 2027.