Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes Reportedly Continuing Contract Negotiations
In contract negotiations that will reset the quarterback market and could fundamentally change how deals are structured in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are reportedly back to work on a new massive contract extension, according to Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star.
In his piece published Thursday morning, Mellinger isn't reporting numbers or timelines. That's because, at least in part, he says neither side is discussing what's currently underway. "Not even privately," he writes.
None of this comes as any surprise, as the Chiefs exercised Mahomes' fifth-year option in late April, just a couple of weeks after Chiefs GM Brett Veach addressed the long-term plans between Mahomes and the Chiefs.
"Again, Pat is a priority, the way we look at it now with all that is going on, we’re going to have a lot of time to work with, Veach said. "Again, Pat, his agents Chris and Leigh Steinberg, they know that Pat is a priority, Pat isn’t going anywhere, he’s going to be here a long time. I can never sit here and speak in definitives, so I can’t say that the fifth-year won’t be an option or anything like that. It would be hard for me to see that we’d have to use that. We feel that it’s a priority when you have a great player, and that great player is a priority, things get done. It’s just hard to put a timetable on exactly when and how that will all work out. But we know and I’m sure he knows that it will get done and it will be taken care of.”
On May 1, Mahomes spoke to reporters and was asked about his looming mega-deal and if it was important for him to have that contract done before the beginning of training camp.
"For me, I think I’ve been in a unique situation where I’ve grown up getting to see a lot of guys go through contracts and doing a lot of different things, having the understanding of how it all works," Mahomes said. "For me, obviously, I want to be a Chief for a long time. I want to have a contract that says that and that I can go out there and know that I have the security and everything like that, but I understand and trust the Chiefs organization and everybody in it that they’re going to handle it the right way. I trust my representation that they’re going to ease my mind and let me go out there and play the game that I love playing, so for me, whenever that happens, it happens. But I’m going to try to focus on being the best football player I can be every single day."
Mellinger's story goes on to anonymously quote some NFL agents, providing their perspective on exactly how much Mahomes' deal could change the dynamic of NFL contracts forever.
“We’re all watching,” said one NFL agent.
“If anybody ever had leverage in the history of the world, it’s your quarterback,” said another.
“He can do whatever he wants,” said a third.
Mellinger's article, which can be read here, goes on to discuss the possible shifts in salary cap expectations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the possibility of a fully-guaranteed deal, and how Mahomes' contract could change the future of how the league signs superstars.
