Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce ultimately decided to return for one last run at glory next season after adding to the speculation that he could be retiring. After losing Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles, the 35-year-old took several weeks to consider his future.
That's natural considering he called the toll of an NFL season "grueling" and there's a lot of money at stake for the team. $11.5 million to be exact. That's the amount of the roster bonus that will kick in on March 14 once the final year of his contract begins.
However, by taking that time the Chiefs' front office had to practically hold its collective breath before making any roster decisions of its own. That $11.5 million is going to factor in big time to the team's budget.
Travis Kelce is playing armchair GM after taking his time on retirement decision
Kansas City already made a major move on Wednesday, trading star left guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. Just hours before that deal was announced, Kelce used he and his brother's "New Heights" podcast to start throwing out strategies for general manager Brett Veach to consider.
"I mean we gotta get some pieces,” Kelce said (h/t Kansas City Star). “I think 100% this offseason, we’re stuck kind of trying to juggle some contract negotiations and losing some key pieces. And I mean, that hurts. You know, we got a lot of guys that we rely on big time, we’ve relied on big time in the past that have helped us win Super Bowls that are in contract negotiations.”
Kind of the pot calling the kettle black, no, Travis? One of those contracts being juggled was your own and now business decisions have to be made on a relatively accelerated timeline.
It's unclear if trading Thuney was a direct result of budgetary restraints from Kelce's decision to return but it's naive to think the deal wasn't influenced in some way. Kelce's entitled to his opinion on how his team can best win but he probably should read the room just a bit and have some self-awareness.