Travis Kelce was all about that new money, suit and tie.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end got candid about his previous financial decisions, admitting that he made some less than stellar monetary moves early in his football career.

“I spent all of my first check and regretted every second—didn't have anything to show for it,” Travis confessed to brother Jason Kelce and guest Tom Brady on the July 8 episode of New Heights. "All of it went to rent and fucking s--t that I don't even have anymore.”

And while Tom suggested it might have been spent on a car, Travis revealed he didn’t have his own set of wheels at the time and admitted that it may have been a better purchase than the unnamed items he ultimately accumulated.

“I didn't even have a car, I stole Jason's car,” the 36-year-old quipped. “I was spending money on way dumber s--t than that. At least a car would have got me to the facility on time.”

Travis—who married Taylor Swift in a star-studded wedding at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on July 3—has never shied away from detailing his early financial troubles, especially if there’s a chance that his experience might help someone else in a similar situation. 

“I made plenty of financial, terrible decisions,” he shared in a 2023 interview with Stash Wealth. “I would say most of it was just being caught up in actually having a good amount of money for the first time. And the fact that I've always wanted to just live recklessly with being able to appreciate the hard work I put in with the money that I have.”

As the Super Bowl champ explained, his goal in life was to live a “baller lifestyle,” but that unfortunately that castle was crumbling down after only a year. 

“The money was just flying out of the account,” he recalled. “Learning from my experiences was the best thing for me.”

Thankfully, he was able to make a change, mostly because he was fortunate enough to still get another paycheck. But the memories of his first experience are still with him, adding, “Avoiding the rent lady when I make over six figures? Not the best feeling in the world. Embarrassing moment again.”

Still, the guy on the Chiefs is grateful for his early experiences, even if he doesn’t always approve of them in retrospect. 

“It’s definitely been a journey and an experience that I kind of appreciate over the course of time,” Travis explained. “Because those embarrassing moments in my life helped me figure out exactly how to spend, how to save, how to invest.”

For more athletes who also figured out how to manage their salaries, keep reading.

For many sports stars, Cristiano Ronaldo's salary is goals. After all, the Portuguese soccer player regularly tops lists of highest-paid athletes.In June 2025, Ronaldo signed a two-year extension with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia. And while the exact value of the deal wasn't revealed, multiple outlets reported he received an annual salary of approximately $200 million when he first signed with the team in 2022 after leaving Manchester United in England.

Lionel Messi kicked off his time at Inter Miami CF with a big check. The annualized average guaranteed compensation for the Argentine player—who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the David Beckham-owned team in 2023 after having previously played for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona—is more than $20.4 million, with a current annualized base salary of $12 million, per the MLS Players Association's 2025 salary guide.

However, pay gaps still exist when comparing the salaries of male and female sports stars. Case in point? There were no women on Forbes' 2025 list of top 50 highest-paid athletes.Alex Morgan—who retired from soccer in 2024 after playing her last game with the San Diego Wave—came in at No. 16 on the outlet's ranking of highest-paid female athletes last year. The publication estimated the World Cup champ earned $600,000 on-field and $7 million off-field (scoring some solid endorsement deals) in 2024.And while there have been strides to bridge the pay gap (with U.S. Soccer becoming the first federation to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money for the country's women's and men's national teams), there is still a long way to go until it's a more equitable playing field.

After being the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark signed a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever that, according to The Athletic, was worth $338,056 and resulted in her receiving a $76,535 salary her rookie year.Many were shocked by the figures considering the base salary for NBA players is much higher. Caitlin also has endorsement deals, including one with Nike that The Athletic reported was worth $28 million.

Topping ESPN's list of NBA players' salaries for the 2025 to 2026 season is Stephen Curry, with the outlet reporting he raked in $59.6 million. However, the Golden State Warriors weren't going to miss their shot at having the guard play longer. In August 2024, Steph signed a $62.6 million extension that keeps him on the team through 2027, his agent confirmed to CNBC.

Also dunking all the way to the bank? LeBron James. According to ESPN's list, the Los Angeles Lakers forward made $52.6 million during the 2025 to 2026 season.

Coco Gauff is also serving up major moves. The tennis champ reigned at the top of Forbes' list of highest paid female athletes in 2024 with an estimated $34.4 million in total earnings that year ($9.4 million on-court and $25 million off).

Naomi Osaka appears to be acing her brand deals, too.Forbes reported the Grand Slam title holder from Japan pulled in an estimated $12.9 million in 2024, and that $12 million of that sum came from income earned outside of her match winnings.

Simone Biles got the gold in more way than one.According to Forbes' list, the Olympic gymnast earned an estimated $11.2 million in 2024 (with $11 million of that total reportedly coming outside of her competition earnings).

If you're trying to fill the blank space on how much Travis Kelce makes playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, here's the answer: The tight end signed a three-year deal in 2026 worth $57.7 million, according to multiple outlets.

As for his teammate Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback scored a pretty penny when he signed a 10-year contract with the Chiefs in 2020 worth $450 million, according to his agency Equity Sports.

The Buffalo Bills weren't going to fumble the opportunity to keep Josh Allen on their team. In March 2025, the quarterback inked a six-year deal that, per Rapoport, is worth $330 million (with $250 million guaranteed).

Russell Wilson touched down on a new team. After previously playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, the quarterback signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants in March 2025 worth $10.5 million, per NFL Network Insiders' Rapoport, Pelissero and Mike Garafolo. However, the trio reported Russell could receive up to $21 million on the deal through incentives.

Stepping in as the Steelers' quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, who previously played for the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers. And while the QB will be wearing No. 8, his paycheck reflects a much bigger number. The one-year contract he signed in June 2025 is worth $13.65 million with $10 million guaranteed, per NFL Network Insiders Rapoport and Pelissero. However, the Insiders noted Aaron could earn up to $19.5 million through incentives.