Patrick Mahomes Signs Largest Contract in Sports History

When you dig into the Patrick Mahomes deal, there is no question it is about big money. But how big is it in reality?

For all of the Raiders fans who might havde believed in the 0.1 percent chance that somehow Patrick Mahomes wouldn’t sign a long-term deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, well, then you might want to stop reading right now because you’re not going to like what this article is about. 

Mahomes, who in his first two seasons as a full-time starter, has won a league MVP and a Super Bowl title, has signed a 10-year, $503-million deal with the Chiefs. It’s the largest contract in the history of sports, eclipsing the 12-year, $430 million deal that baseball star Mike Trout previously signed with the Los Angeles Angels. The contract, like most in the NFL, is structured as such that Mahomes only was guaranteed about $63 million at signing. 

As analyzed by Yahoo Sports and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the extension is added on to the remaining two years and $27 million remaining on Mahomes' rookie deal, making it a 10-year, $450 million pact in actuality. The added money to count up to $503 million comes from incentives for AFC Championship and Super Bowl wins over the life of the contract. 

Where Mahomes will be making most of the money on the contract is in roster bonuses. For example, if Mahomes is on the Chiefs roster next March, he will get $103 million, and if he’s still on the team in 2026, he’ll be guaranteed $275 million. Ultimately, it will be up to the Chiefs if Mahomes can earn the full worth of the contract, which isn’t that different from how many other NFL contracts are structured, it’s just that most aren’t proclaimed to be the richest in all of sports. 

Considering the recent history of quarterbacks aging like fine wine though (Tom Brady anyone?), it seems that, barring injury of course, Mahomes will be on the Chiefs and probably playing well for a good while. That means that if the Raiders ultimately want to become the best team in the AFC West, they won’t have any shortcuts. 

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