In the latest episode of the popular "New Heights" podcast, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce shared his candid thoughts on Saquon Barkley's recent two-year, $41.2 million contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. While both Travis and his brother Jason Kelce congratulated the 2024 AP Offensive Player of the Year on securing the lucrative deal, Travis expressed strong reservations about the reported $15 million in incentives included in Barkley's contract.
"Eeww," Travis Kelce remarked during Wednesday's episode. "I don't like that one bit... Does he have to get a 2,000-yard season every year?"
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26), offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65)
© Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The stance appears somewhat hypocritical considering Kelce's teammate Patrick Mahomes has played under a similar contract structure since signing his landmark 10-year deal with the Chiefs in 2020. Mahomes' $450 million contract includes substantial performance-based incentives and escalator clauses that require the quarterback to meet various benchmarks to maximize his earnings—the very type of structure Kelce criticized in Barkley's deal.
The conversation deepened when Jason, a former Eagles center, explained how NFL contracts typically structure incentives for different positions, including his own past deals with Philadelphia.
"The way I used to be structured, there'd be like playoff incentives, Super Bowl incentives, Pro Bowls, All-Pros," Jason explained. "And then with running backs you usually add in yards."
This explanation only seemed to intensify Travis's disapproval. "So you have to rely on someone's vote to get your incentive?" Travis questioned. "That's (expletive) up."
Despite their criticisms of the incentive structure, both Kelce brothers agreed that Barkley, whom Travis described as "one of the leaders" of the Eagles, deserves every penny of his new contract. The extension comes after Barkley's stellar performance helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory against the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, making him one of the NFL's highest-paid running backs at $20.6 million per year over the next two seasons.
