Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are widely considered two of the best in the history of their position. While Gronkowski retired in 2022, Kelce is still going strong with the Chiefs and was the highest-paid TE in the league last season.
Both of the stars have earned an enormous amount of money over their careers. But who’s the richer of the two? Let’s find out by analyzing their career earnings and net worth.
Travis Kelce’s Net Worth and Career Earnings
Throughout his time with the Chiefs, Kelce has earned $93,943,975 from his NFL contracts alone, and by the end of the 2025 season, his earnings will jump to $111,193,975.
He has an estimated net worth of $90 million, built on his NFL earnings, endorsements, and ventures like Casa Azul Reposado Tequila. The veteran’s business acumen matches his athleticism.
Kelce’s ventures go beyond apparel and nutrition. He’s also a savvy investor, earning a four-times return on his stake in L Catterton’s acquisition of Cholula Hot Sauce when McCormick & Company bought the brand for $800 million in 2020.
In Oct. 2023, Kelce and Walmart unveiled a barbecue product line, Travis Kelce’s Kitchen, inspired by Kansas City flavors. This followed the success of his 2022 collaboration with Hy-Vee, which launched Kelce’s Krunch, a limited-edition cereal supporting his charitable foundation.
Beyond football and business, Kelce shines in other arenas. He is a prolific endorser and has been the face of brands like McDonald’s, Pfizer, State Farm, Papa John’s, Bud Light, Sleep Number, Tide, Dick’s Sporting Goods, T-Mobile, Experian, Old Spice, Walgreens, and DirecTV.
His entrepreneurial spirit took flight in 2019 with the launch of Hilo Nutrition, a health brand specializing in performance gummy supplements. Shortly after, in 2020, Kelce introduced Tru Kolors, his clothing line, which became the first NFL player-owned brand to collaborate officially with an NFL franchise, the Chiefs.
Kelce also hosts one of the most popular sports podcasts, “New Heights,” with his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. The Kelce brothers inked a three-year, $100 million podcast distribution deal with Wondery earlier last year.
Rob Gronkowski Career Earnings and Net Worth
Gronkowski has an estimated $45 million in net worth, and a large part of that comes from his 11-year NFL career earnings. Through his 11 years in the league, nine with the Patriots and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he generated a total of $70,629,507.
However, Gronkowski once revealed that he has never spent a penny out of his NFL career earnings and exclusively lives off his endorsement deals, which means his net worth will be higher than $45 million. He has partnered with Tide, Nike, Dunkin’ Donuts, Visa, T-Mobile, Lyft, Cheerios, and more over the years.
Gronk hasn’t spent a single PENNY of his NFL earnings pic.twitter.com/ULbwlKXIp1
— Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) May 20, 2025
Gronkowski also earned some money from his broadcasting career. After his first retirement in 2019, he worked as an analyst for FOX Sports. He rejoined the network as a commentator on FOX NFL Sunday in 2022.
In addition to his work as a sportscaster, Gronk has also appeared on television shows such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Entourage. He competed on the third season of The Masked Singer.
Comparison of the Tight Ends
Kelce has generated a significantly higher amount in career earnings than Gronkowski, and even if he plays and retires after the 2025 season, he will have amassed a whopping $111 million from NFL contracts alone.
However, the Chiefs’ tight end is entering his 13th season in the league, while Gronkowski played just 11 seasons. Had the two been playing in the same era, it’s very likely that their career earnings wouldn’t differ much.
As for net worth, Kelce may still have enjoyed a lead, although comparatively less, due to other off-field factors like the “New Heights” podcast and his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, which have opened up opportunities for him in the acting industry. He has a role in the upcoming Adam Sandler movie Happy Gilmore 2, and he hosted the first season of the game show “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” on Amazon Prime Video.
