Travis Kelce, a Chiefs tight end, has a contract for an average of $14.3 million year. This places one of the best pass catchers in the NFL at nearly half of the top receiver market.

Kelce is aware that he is underpaid. However, he is unwilling to take action.

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

But Kelce has resolved to be very careful about what he asks for, after what happened to former colleague Tyreek Hill, who demanded more and received more but did not win the Super Bowl to end the 2022 season, unlike Kelce.

“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,” he added. “I’m saying, the free market looks fun until you get there and don’t win. I enjoy winning. I enjoy the circumstance I’m in.”

For Kelce, winning opens up a whole new world of opportunities to generate even more money. According to the complete story, Kelce intends to pursue a successful and profitable post-football career.

“I don’t know if what I want to do has really been done yet,” Kelce stated of his future plans, which appear to include broadcasting, podcasting, and acting.

Kelce is currently trying to accept the fact that he is underpaid. He knows the Chiefs will readily accept that fact.

“You see how much more money you could be making and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit,” he added. “It makes you feel like you’re being taken advantage of. I’m not sure if I really pushed the gas to obtain what I’m worth. But I know I enjoy coming into the building every day.”

The story makes no mention of it, but the fact that quarterback Patrick Mahomes is just as underpaid as Kelce (if not more) surely factors to Kelce’s decision to stay quiet. Once again, the team benefits from this. When any player willingly (or unwillingly) accepts less than he is genuinely worth, it becomes simpler not only to add other good players to the squad, but also to force other members to accept less as well.

Winning is what holds everything together. Winning is what enables great players to accept the occasional feeling that they are being taken advantage of.

Put another way, the Chiefs want Kelce to continue battling for his right to party. If nothing more, it prevents Kelce from seeing that he should also be fighting for his right to fair remuneration.