KC Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Contract Named One of Best Bargains in NFL
Back when the Kansas City Chiefs first signed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a 10-year contract extension worth nearly half a billion dollars, they knew they were in it for the long haul with their superstar signal-caller. Three summers later, despite the eye-popping price tag on paper and the original shock surrounding the move, Mahomes's deal is already being looked at as one of the most team-friendly ones in the entire NFL.
In a recent article for CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin broke down the NFL's best bargains at premium positions. Mahomes made the cut for the quarterback spot, as his per-year average contract salary of $45 million ranks seventh at his position. He's joined by Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love ($13.5M average is 18th), Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow ($9M average is 20th) and Los Angeles Chargers young standout Justin Herbert ($6.6M average is 27th) on the list. Here's what Benjamin wrote about Mahomes:
Is it really possible for the man with the biggest contract in NFL history to be underpaid? If his name is Patrick Mahomes, then yes. At just 27, the Chiefs star is already a virtual lock for the Hall of Fame, with two Super Bowl titles, two NFL MVPs, an 11-3 playoff record and 192 touchdown passes in just five full years as a starter. Much like Tom Brady of yesteryear, anytime he's not far and away the highest-paid QB in the NFL, he qualifies as a bargain.
Like Brady made famous throughout his career, Mahomes intentionally took less per-year value than he's actually worth to help ensure that the Chiefs can surround him with better talent on the field. It may sound ridiculous that someone on a $450M contract is a bargain, but the aforementioned math makes sense. The deal will look even better once Burrow and Herbert, both slated to sign lucrative long-term pacts in the near future due to their rookie contracts soon running out, re-up with their respective clubs.
Some have speculated that Kansas City and Mahomes could revisit the contract, and general manager Brett Veach even acknowledged so earlier this offseason. With that said, the deal still has a long time left on it and both sides knew what they were getting into when they agreed to it. The point of the contract was to compensate Mahomes at a high level while also saving a bit of cap space on the flip side for the team. That combination has worked out thus far, although some of Mahomes's peers are making the calculus look better and better for the Chiefs with each passing mega-deal being inked.
