San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle still can't believe that Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is not being paid like some of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
The wide receiver market has seen a major bump in the salaries of its top players, with the likes of Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Deandre Hopkins and AJ Brown all making upwards of $25 million. In comparison, tight ends are not making much, with Kelce set to make only around $7.5 million in 2022.
Kittle is bewildered by such discrepancy, noting how underpaid Kelce is considering the production he gives to the Chiefs.
“I mean Travis Kelce, six seasons in a row, 1000 yards,” Kittle said, per Pro Football Talk. “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.”
George Kittle went on to share how impressed he is by Travis Kelce, describing him as a “monster.” He also highlighted how more tight ends are becoming a big part of offenses in the NFL, mentioning the likes of Darren Waller, Mark Andrews and Zach Ertz.
The 49ers veteran certainly has every reason to be frustrated by the pay gap, but with the way things are going, it might not last long. After all, as more tight ends play an important role in offenses like he said, the sooner their value will also increase.
For now, however, Kittle and Kelce have to be a bit more patient.
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