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The Kansas City Chiefs loaded up on offensive talent in the 2024 NFL draft. After trading up to land wide receiver Xavier Worthy and offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia, Kansas City drafted former TCU tight end Jared Wiley.
On the May 1 episode of “New Heights,” Chiefs star Travis Kelce offered his first-hand assessment of the Chiefs’ new tight end. Before Kansas City selected Wiley in the fourth round, the 6-foot-6, 249-pound pass-catching weapon joined Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a workout in Texas.
Retired All-Pro center Jason Kelce referred to Wiley as “a big old Clydesdale” to which his younger brother and co-host agreed. “He’s a galloper,” Travis said, and “he’s a big dude.”
While Travis is spending as much time as possible with girlfriend Taylor Swift before her “Eras” tour resumes, he never misses an offseason workout with Mahomes and quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen.
“I always get down to Texas this time of the year to try and throw with Pat, and get things going again, get the engine all fired up for OTAs and when we get back to KC,” Travis said. “Big Jeff Christensen is Pat’s out-of-the-facility QB coach, makes sure he’s getting those fundamentals right. Gets him going through certain drills. So, we always take our family picture here.”
In addition to meeting Wiley, who was “having some fun and looking good,” Travis noted, Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson joined the workout. “It was good seeing them,” he concluded.
Chiefs News: Travis Kelce Became the Highest-Paid TE in the League Shortly After Jared Wiley was Drafted
While it’s unnerving when a team appears to draft your replacement, the Chiefs made it clear that Wiley is not usurping Kelce’s role any time soon. The Chiefs revamped Kelce’s contract on April 29, making him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history.
SI’s Albert Breer clarified, “It’s not an extension. It’s a raise, per source, to the existing deal. So he’s under contract for the next two years at $34.25 million, and up after 2025. He gets a $4 million raise this year. He gets early vesting to guarantees next year.”
On the podcast, Kelce gushed over how “excited” and “thankful” he was for the franchise making him feel “appreciated and compensated the right way.”
Still performing at an elite level at age 34, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach described Kelce as “unicorn” during his April 29 press conference. “You know, hard to put into words what Travis means to this organization, this city,” Veach said.
“Every now and then, you have one of these guys that are outliers — and certainly Travis is one of those players. It’s funny, it’s not even May yet and today we had a chance to get out there in Phase Two and guys were out there running around. Travis was the first guy in line, and he looked like he was 28 years old.
“The odds of someone playing this far into their 30s is very low, but it does happen, and it happens with unicorns in the profession, and Travis is one of those… Hopefully we can ride this thing even longer. We’ll just have to wait and see, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down.”
Travis Kelce Can Help Mentor Jared Wiley’s ‘Sneaky’ Versatile Talent
The Chiefs met with several prospective tight ends throughout the draft interview process, so interest in the position was well-known. Adding a young and cost-effective tight end can help extend Kelce’s career and the future Hall of Famer can offer invaluable mentorship to Wiley.
Chiefs regional scout Jason Lamb gushed over the 23-year-old’s versatile talent. “That was something that actually kind of stood out watching him last year,” Lamb told reporters on April 27. “You do see this bigger tight end, so you kind of expect more of the blocking and everything, but he’s kind of sneaky.
“You see the ability to separate versus linebackers, you see that route feel versus both man and zone. I feel like that’s something I felt like was kind of under the radar.”
“Because he’s a bigger guy, you expect him maybe to just be more of a blocker. But once you see him getting open, making catches and being able to make plays after the catch in the open field, that’s something you kind of get excited about for sure.”
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