KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It didn't quite match his "You've got to fight for your right to party!'' proclamation in January after the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC Championship Game to advance to their first Super Bowl in 50 years.
But Travis Kelce was only slightly less enthusiastic on Friday in his first public comments since signing his four-year contract extension with the Chiefs that would pay him about $58 million. The extension, combined with the two seasons on his existing deal, would keep Kelce with the Chiefs through the 2025 season if he completes the contract.
"It's a beautiful thing, and you know what, this community, Kansas City, I love you and I'm thankful that I'm going to be here for the next six years,'' Kelce said.
Kelce last season became the first tight end in NFL history to have four straight 1,000-yard seasons. He caught 97 passes for 1,229 yards and five touchdowns last season and then added another 19 receptions for 207 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason.
Kelce's 1-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl started the Chiefs' rally from a 10-point deficit to a 31-20 victory over the 49ers.
Kelce is the latest Chiefs veteran to stay with the club, joining Sammy Watkins, Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones. All either accepted a restructured contract or signed a new deal.
"I think there's a lot of reasons,'' Kelce said. "One is because we've got great guys in the locker room, we've got great guys in the facility, great people in the facility and overall it's a fun atmosphere every single time we come to work. And guys don't want to leave that, guys want to keep building off of that. And it's a beautiful thing when you have ownership trust in you, want to make change with you in terms of the season and the community. And then on top of that, just going out there and playing football with guys who come to work every single day and fight their tail off for you.
"The front office -- [general manager] Brett Veach, Coach [Andy] Reid, [chairman] Clark Hunt, [president] Mark Donovan -- the guys that really put this organization and bring everyone together and get everyone on the same page -- we got all the trust in the world that those guys are going to get it done and make it worth our while while we're here. I can't thank them enough for the opportunities that we've had to date, and you know what? We'll make it our effort every single day to make the best yet to come.''
The Chiefs drafted Kelce in the third round in 2013, shortly after hiring Reid.
"He still comes to work every day wanting to get better,'' Reid said. "And so you love that part of him. He brings energy every day. I've been lucky enough coaching his brother [Jason, with the Philadelphia Eagles], and they're both that way. They're wired where they want to be the best but yet enjoy playing the game like no other, like you're playing in the backyard type thing.''