Chad Johnson thinks that because Travis Kelce is “dating a billionaire,” he will accept a lower salary in the NFL

Former Cincinnati Bengals player and retired NFL great Chad Johnson recently shared his opinions regarding the Kansas City Chiefs and the rumors circulating around their star tight end Travis Kelce.

Discussions over Kelce’s future in the league have been going on for a while now. Many think Kelce’s time is running out after his lackluster 2024–2025 season performance.

Johnson talked about the specifics that may affect Travis Kelce’s decision to remain on the field on an episode of his podcast with Shannon Sharpe. He claims that he doesn’t see the Super Bowl champion going anywhere anytime soon, particularly given his developing romance with music sensation Taylor Swift.

Travis Kelce must decide by March 14th.

After entering the NFL in 2013, Kelce signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs right away. He has received several honors over his incredible tenure with the organization, including five Super Bowl appearances.

Although the tight end, who was born in Cleveland, has one more year left on his deal, the Chiefs will give him a roster bonus of about $12 million on March 15.

Kelce has been given until March 14 to let the organization know whether he intends to play on or retire, as the incentive is still in effect and the league’s free agency starts on March 10.

Because of Swift’s wealth, Johnson believes Travis Kelce will continue to play in the league and take a pay cut.

The former NFL players talked about the news surrounding Kelce’s status in the league on a recent episode of Sharpe and Johnson’s popular podcast, “Nightcap,” including the potential for him to take less money to allow younger players to take over his role when it’s time for him to retire.

Johnson said he doesn’t think Kelce will have any trouble getting a fair deal with the Chiefs since the tight end is a “team player.”

Johnson also mentioned Kelce’s celebrity outside of the game, citing his work as presenter of “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?” on Prime Video and his involvement in “Grotesquerie.”

“He’s making so much money off of the field he’s not going to have a problem doing that,” Johnson stated. “He’s going to make up whatever he doesn’t get off of the field because he has so much gone on.”

Johnson went on to compare the scenario to Tom Brady’s wage reductions while he was a member of the New England Patriots. Sharpe responded by asking “Who was Tom Brady dating [during that time] to make sure they kept the team around him?”

Johnson remained unmoved when Sharpe pointed out to his co-host that Kelce was not married to Swift, his girlfriend.

“He’s fine, I assure you. He claimed to be dating a billionaire.

Travis Kelce’s 2024–2025 Season Statistics

Kelce has had a number of outstanding seasons since entering the league in 2013. His 2024–2025 campaign, however, was the least fruitful of the 12-year veteran’s career.

With 97 catches for 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns, the football player concluded the season.

Kelce caught four passes for a total of 39 receiving yards during Super Bowl LIX, in which the Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 40–22.

Numerous NFL fans were drawn to Kelce’s performance during the season. Several reviewers posted their opinions online after seeing his performance during the February 9 Super Bowl, stating that his lackluster performance did not “surprise” them.

“He hasn’t played to his potential since beginning his romance with Swift and they went out the [night] before the game,” a person said.

Patrick Mahomes is unsure if Kelce will rejoin the Chiefs.

The bond between Kelce and his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, has contributed to the enjoyment of watching his wizardry on the field.

Following their heartbreaking defeat by the Eagles, who dashed their hopes of winning the NFL three-peat, Mahomes stated he was unsure if Kelce would come back to play another game or if he had had enough.

“He’s given so much to this team and to the NFL,” Mahomes remarked. “And he’s been such a joy, not only for me to work with, but for people to watch.”

“And he knows he still has a lot of football left in him,” Mahomes added, before stating that his tight end “always makes plays in the biggest moments.”

“Grueling” is how Kelce describes playing in the NFL.

In an episode of his “New Heights” podcast, Kelce talked about the Chiefs’ Super Bowl performance and acknowledged that it wasn’t what they had anticipated.

He added that he was “kicking everything down the road” for the time being in response to the retirement speculations.

According to Kelce, playing in the NFL can be psychologically and physically taxing, particularly during the postseason.

It may be a taxing procedure. You may feel the weight of it. It has the potential to both improve you and drive you insane,” he clarified.

when Scott Van Pelt would say, “I think it happens as you tail off toward the back nine of your career.” At the moment, it’s one of those things that was sort of driving me nuts this year.

In closing, he informed his audience that he would take “some time to figure it out” in order to come to a “wholehearted decision” that would benefit both himself and his squad.