George Kittle: Travis Kelce Is Underpaid Compared to Receivers

Kittle can't quite wrap his head around Kelce's pay in relation to wideouts.

The brotherhood between San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is well documented, and the two are teaming up again this year. For the second offseason in a row, the duo is working with former NFL standout Greg Olsen to bring 'Tight End University' back.

Kittle, Kelce and Olsen's program is designed to help the NFL's many tight ends bond and learn about what it takes to have tremendous and sustained success in the league. This year's event will take place over the course of three days in late June (22-24), and Kittle is already on the media campaign trail spreading the word. 

Kittle recently appeared on the PFT PM podcast with Mike Florio and when Kelce was brought up, the 49ers star didn't mince words about his Chiefs counterpart's pay relative to the wide receiver position.

Jan 30, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts after a play against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter of the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

I mean Travis Kelce, six seasons in a row, 1000 yards. I’m pretty sure he has the most receiving yards over any wide receiver, skill position in the last six years. He gets paid half of what a wide receiver makes, which just boggles my mind. I mean, to me, Travis Kelce, he’s been doing it for so long and at such a high level. And he doesn’t have an off game. I think he has one bad game a year, and it’s just because he’s getting triple-teamed.

Kittle also pointed to the recent success of Super Bowl-bound teams and how so many of them have had world-class tight ends to count on. "I feel a tight end's not just like a cog in the wheel, it's an important position that can really add to your offense or diminish it," he added. 

There is a good point made by Kittle about the positional value and its correlation to salary. On his current contract, a five-year pact worth a total of $75 million, he averages $15M per year with $40M guaranteed overall. Kelce's deal, which expires in 2026, carries an average of $14.3M per year and has $20.75M guaranteed in it. Mark Andrews, viewed by many as the third-best tight end in football, inked an extension in September worth an average of $14M over the course of the next four seasons. His total guarantees are $37.6M.  

Jan 30, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates with wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) after a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

When compared to the wide receiver position, the difference is staggering. Take former Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill for example. After being traded to the Miami Dolphins earlier in the offseason, Hill became the highest-paid receiver in football by signing an extension worth a whopping $30M per year. It included $72.2M in total guarantees, which significantly exceeds that of Kittle. Behind Hill, there are 19 receivers who make more on a per-year basis than Kittle does. Not all of them can match Kittle or Kelce's impact, however. 

Kelce has not only been the best tight end in the NFL for the past half-decade, but he's been one of the best offensive players in the league in general. This is regardless of position, and he shouldn't be pigeonholed into a traditional tight end role. The Chiefs utilize him as more of a pseudo-wideout but that isn't reflected in his pay. That comes with the territory of playing the position, although Kittle was eager to point out that this shouldn't be the case.

At 32 years old, Kelce's current contract very well could see him through to the end of his career. If it doesn't, he likely won't be the caliber of player to benefit from any changes that occur between now and then to the tight end pay scale. It remains to be seen whether those adjustments will be made, as the current market allows teams to get away with paying uber-talented tight ends markedly less than great wide receivers. Kittle made one thing clear when he used Kelce as an example, though: that's mind-boggling.