How Patrick Mahomes' Extension Could Change how the NFL Does Contracts
In a breakdown of the NFL's most impactful looming contract situations, Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr gives members of the Kansas City Chiefs two spots in the NFL's Top 10. First up is, of course, quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
While Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took the top spot, as his contract situation will directly impact the 2020 season, Mahomes comes in at number two:
2. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Another reason why I think the Prescott deal should get done sooner rather than later: Patrick Mahomes is going to break the way we think of NFL contracts and will likely lift all boats in the process. ESPN is reporting that the reigning Super Bowl MVP’s deal will be in excess of $200 million (Matt Ryan currently holds the top “total money” slot at $150 million). Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has wisely been banging the drum for years for a quarterback contract that is anchored to the total percentage of a rising salary cap. Now that Kirk Cousins has crossed the barrier for nontraditional contracts (in his case, by fully guaranteeing the whole amount), the runway has been paved for other alternative solutions, even if nothing quite as bold has been suggested since. Mahomes is a generational talent who, startlingly, hasn’t come close to peaking and has the best offensive mind in football as his head coach. I’m sure if his contract stipulations were “I’m going to submit a blank check to you the day before the season starts every year” there would be 31 other teams willing to sign on for that. As a 2017 first-round pick, he was not eligible for a new deal until this offseason. So now the Chiefs will have to take care of him.
While I'd argue that Mahomes occupies such a unique spot among NFL players that even the agents of Prescott or Deshaun Watson would have a hard time saying "Well, let's start with Mahomes' deal" with a straight face, Mahomes' contract is going to be massive.
I'm intrigued by the idea of a fully-guaranteed contract or a percentage-of-the-cap deal, but NFL teams are rarely that creative in the process of contract negotiations. However, Mahomes' situation is extremely unique, and if his crew and the Chiefs decide that the best way to lock Mahomes down for the next decade or so is to get untraditional with the numbers, this would be the time to do it.
For Orr's full ranking of the NFL's most impactful deals, click here.
