Travis Kelce: 'I’m Here for the Legacy'

The former UC great is wildly underpaid, but that's not bothering him heading into another NFL campaign.

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

CINCINNATI — San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is pounding the table for his friend and former Bearcats star Travis Kelce to get a little bit more cheddar. Kittle described why Kelce should be getting a raise recently on Pro Football Talk.

“I’m pretty sure he has the most receiving yards over any wide receiver skill position in the last six years and he gets paid half of what a wide receiver makes and it just boggles my mind,” Kittle said.

Kelce appreciated the sentiment, but he made it clear things aren't about money at this point of his career.

“I appreciate Kittle saying that because that’s my guy and he always wants to see every tight end get paid as much as their production is,” Kelce said. “I signed my contract understanding what I had. I put a lot into this, money in my mind is almost a secondary at this point in my career. I’m here for the legacy and I’m here to try and make the Kansas City Chiefs the best team possible.”

The ultimate team sentiment out of Kelce, who Kittle pegged exactly right. The three-time first-team All-Pro leads all NFL players in receiving yards over the past six seasons (7,269) by nearly 100 yards. Any way you slice it, Kelce is underpaid on the current deal he signed in 2020.

He is the 13th-highest-paid tight end heading into this season, all while sitting in second place among all tight ends ever in career receiving yards. Kelce is about 2,000 yards away from breaking fellow Chief Tony Gonzalez's record. At this rate, he'll smash through that late in the 2023 season.

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

You May Also Like:

Recruiting Roundup: Bearcats Offer Pair of Four-Star Pass Catchers

Watch: Myjai Sanders Mic'd up at Arizona Cardinals' OTAs

Bearcats Offer Four-Star 2023 Wing Mayar Wol

Marcus Mariota: 'Absolutely' Mentoring Desmond Ridder

UC Football Falls in Latest ESPN Recruiting Rankings

Rayvon Griffith Transferring to AZ Compass for Senior High School Season

UC Announces Kickoff Times for Four 2022 Football Games

Recruiting Roundup: Four-Star Wide Receiver Ayden Greene, Two More Recruits Officially Visiting UC

Bearcats Offer 2023 Four-Star Guard Jizzle James

UC Outfielder Griffin Merritt Wins AAC Player of the Year Honors

Report: SEC Discussing Intra-Conference Football Playoff

Look: UC NFL Rookies Pose in New Uniforms at Rookie Premiere

Top 2023 UC Target Amare Snowden Places Bearcats in Top-Six Schools

Kyle Washington, Tari Eason Named UC's Best Modern Incoming/Outgoing Transfers

Desmond Ridder: 'I'm Going to put my Best Foot Forward' in Atlanta Falcons QB Battle

Bearcats Crack ESPN's List of Top-10 Defenses Over Next Three Years

Bearcats Offer Top-Two 2024 Ohio Prospect

A Closer Look at New Bearcats Defensive End Noah Potter

The 2022 NFL Schedule: Bearcats Edition

Three-Star 2023 Target Locks Commitment Date; Wes Miller Offers Top-55 2024 Player

Bearcats Peppered Across NFL Rookie of the Year Betting Markets

Ahmad Gardner, Alec Pierce Make List of Top-10 Scheme Fits

Look: Ahmad Gardner Buys Permanent Jersey Number From Jets Teammate

Bearcats Offer Four-Star 2023 Center; Bring in 2024 Sharpshooter for a Visit

PFF Lists Coby Bryant as 'Instant-Impact Day Three Rookie'

Richard Sherman: Coby Bryant 'Will be a Long-Time Starter' for Seattle Seahawks

Desmond Ridder Named one of the 2022 NFL Draft's Biggest Steals

Five UC Football Players That Could be Drafted in 2023

Wes Miller: 'Crucial Offseason' Ahead for Jeremiah Davenport, Viktor Lakhin

Major Analysts Name Desmond Ridder 'Steal of the 2022 NFL Draft'

UC Emerges as a Major Winner From the 2022 NFL Draft

Takeaways From UC's 2022 Spring Game

Bearcats Q&A: A Ball-Handling Discussion With Mika Adams-Woods

-----

Be sure to keep it locked on All Bearcats all the time!

Follow All Bearcats on Twitter: @AllBearcats

Like All Bearcats on FaceBook: All Bearcats

Follow All Bearcats on Instagram: @BearcatsTalk