Chris Jones' Deal Confirms Travis Kelce Is the Gift That Keeps on Giving

While it's not quite as exciting as the chase for a Lombardi Trophy, much of the Kansas City Chiefs' early 2024 offseason has been dominated by salary cap talk. That club had two big-time defensive talents, Chris Jones and L'Jarius Sneed, facing unrestricted free agency, and that seemed to set up a tough choice. If you can only keep one man on the roster long-term, who should it be?

And while both players are technically on the books for 2024 thanks to Sneed's franchise tag and Jones' extension, there's still time for things to change. If KC gets an impressive offer for the defensive back, he could still be traded away.

But with all of the talk about contracts, cap hits and other financial details, one underlying detail does loom large: tight end Travis Kelce remains an incredible bargain, and his deal is the gift that keeps on giving.

Jones' Contract Keeps the Chiefs Core Together

Before zooming in on Kelce, let's spend some time looking at the Chiefs' 2024 business and the financial realities behind the club's choices.

It seemed like general manager Brett Veach would have to choose between Sneed and Jones. Sneed was franchise-tagged, presumably as a security blanket; it keeps him on the books for 2024, but gives both parties time to work out a longer-term deal or a trade. Jones couldn't be tagged, but that's now a moot point. He and the club recently agreed to a sizable extension.

And while it took some time for the financial details to reach the public, we now know a bit more about the structure of the deal. Jones' 2024 cap hit clocks in at a manageable $7.35 million, but it rises as high as $41,100,000. The other numbers, like guaranteed money, are also impressive.

So, what does that mean for the Chiefs' salary cap situation this year? Well, the club is currently $5 million over the limit, but that should be relatively manageable. Sneed could be traded, and there's always the prospect of a Patrick Mahomes contract restructure.

Kelce Has Remained a Bargain

Now that we've considered Jones' extension, let's circle back to Kelce.

During his entire National Football League (NFL) career, the tight end has never commanded a cap hit higher than $14.8 million, which came in the 2023 season. Even as he hits new career highs during the remainder of his contract, things will top out at $19.8 million.

And while that won't leave him scrounging for change in the couch, it's still relatively small by NFL standards. If we look at the Chiefs 2024 roster, four players (Mahomes, Sneed, Jawaan Taylor and Joe Thuney) all command more cap space than Kelce; Justin Reid is also within touching distance of the tight end. Mahomes on his own carries a cap hit nearly four times larger than No. 87.

If you prefer to work from a salary cap perspective, Kelce has never taken up more than 7 percent of the Chiefs' salary cap in a given year. Mahomes is comfortably into double digits and Jones, barring the 2024 campaign, will remain there, too.

While that makes sense from a logical perspective—a franchise quarterback, especially one who performs at an all-world level, is always going to command a massive contract—it does underscore just how much of a bargain Kelce is. He isn't the one forcing tough decisions elsewhere; if anything, his modest cap hit makes it easier for KC to keep elite talent elsewhere on the roster.

Kelce isn't just affordable, though. He only furthers that with his production.

Despite lining up at tight end, the Cleveland Heights product puts up receiver-level numbers. And when you consider that the top receivers are playing on contracts worth upward of $100 million, there has been room for Kelce to push higher.

There's not a moral imperative for professional athletes to accept team-friendly deals. Life in the pros can be short, and there's no guarantee of another contract; it's perfectly valid to squeeze every penny today.

One of the main challenges of keeping a championship window pried open is keeping the books balanced. Good players are essential for on-field success, but that success also makes everyone more expensive. And, eventually, compromises have to be made.

The Chiefs haven't been an exception to that, moving Tyreek Hill ahead of the 2022 season and having to bite the bullet a few more times this offseason. But when it comes to the big picture, Kelce's contract lessens the collective crunch.

Add his production (remember, 2023 was a down year and he still ended with 93 catches for 984 yards and five touchdowns across 15 regular-season before exploding in the playoffs) into the mix, and he's the gift that keeps on giving.

The current Chiefs dynasty, quite simply, couldn't work without him.