Patrick Mahomes and His Record Setting Contract
Kansas City’s signal caller deserves every penny
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes just became a very, very rich man. The fourth-year QB signed a 10-year, $503 million extension that will keep him with the Chiefs until 2031. The deal was unprecedented, as Mahomes became just the sixth NFL player ever to sign an extension of 10 years or more. The last deal of that kind came in 2004, when then Falcons quarterback Michael Vick inked a 10-year extension. Contracts of that length are such a rarity in the NFL, that the news instantly had people buzzing. Some were saying Mahomes was crazy for signing a deal of that length. Others were suggesting that Kansas City was foolish for agreeing to a contract of such length and value. If the Chiefs gave this deal to any other player, perhaps those people would be right.
Patrick Mahomes however, is worth every penny.
Those who proclaim that Mahomes’ new contract will wreck the Chiefs’ cap are somewhat wrong. The QB’s new deal doesn’t see him earn more than $29 million until the year 2023. Even after that, Mahomes won’t make more than $41 million until 2027. While $41 million is a large number against the cap, a new TV deal could cause the salary cap to rise even more, which would cause $41 million to be comparable to $29 million. Until then however, $29 million isn’t a disastrous amount. The move to backload the contract allows Kansas City to keep vital pieces such as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill on their team right now. Also, the likelihood Mahomes finishes out this contract are slim. There are clauses involved which could lead to an opt-out, and realistically a new contract extension. But for now, just looking at the deal he signed, neither Mahomes nor Kansas City made a mistake.
Mahomes just guaranteed himself generational wealth. The Chiefs just secured a player for multiple seasons, who has a chance at being the greatest quarterback of all-time.
Anyone who suggests Kansas City should’ve done anything otherwise should take a step back. Mahomes has been historic thus far in his NFL career. Through three years in the league (two really due to Mahomes playing just one game his rookie year), the superstar quarterback has 9,412 passing yards, 76 touchdowns, and just 18 interceptions. He also has 500 rushing yards, and four touchdowns rushing. Those numbers alone are extremely impressive. The QB’s true greatness however, comes with the already long list of records he’s broken in his career.
Throughout his three years in the NFL, just a few of the records Mahomes holds includes:
Most touchdown passes thrown through first two games of a season (10)
Most touchdown passes thrown through first three games of a season (13)
Most touchdown passes thrown through first eight career games (22)
Most touchdown passes thrown through first 35 career games, including playoffs (86)
Youngest quarterback to throw for six touchdowns in a game (22 years, 364 days)
Most consecutive road games with at least three touchdown passes (7)
First player to throw for over 3,000 yards in his first ten games (3,185)
Most consecutive 300-plus passing yard games (8)
Fastest player to 4,000 passing yards and 40+ touchdown passes (13 games)
Fastest to 7,500 career passing yards (24 games)
First player with six games of 300 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns in their first 40 games (19 games)
First player in NFL history with 300+ passing yards, 5+ passing TD & 50+ rushing yards in a playoff game
The list doesn’t stop there however. Mahomes has accomplished feats comparable to some of the NFL’s greats. The Chiefs’ QB is the only player besides Joe Montana to have 250+ passing yards, 3+ passing TD and 50+ rushing yards in multiple playoff games. Mahomes is also the second player in NFL history to have 50 passing touchdowns and 5,000 passing yards in a single season, along with Peyton Manning. Finally, Mahomes joined Tom Brady as the only player to lead a 10+ point comeback in the Super Bowl.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, Mahomes became the youngest player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl and league MVP. The Chiefs QB built on his historic 2018 MVP season, by having a historic 2019 playoff run. Kansas City trailed by at least 10 points in every playoff game, including the Super Bowl against the 49ers. Yet, Mahomes led the team to a win each time.
So how could anyone really question the contract? The Chiefs are positioned with the best quarterback in the league for years to come. Every time Mahomes steps on the field, Kansas City has a chance. If you want to argue that, I’d point to the fact that throughout his career, Mahomes has never been defeated by more than seven points in any game.
The only real concern with a contract of that length is injury. Yes Mahomes missed two games last season, but those were the first missed games of his career. Otherwise, Mahomes has proven to be durable throughout his time in the league.
Kansas City needed to lock up their quarterback for the future. They did that. It doesn’t matter if it’s a historic deal. Mahomes is a historic player. The Chiefs will be led for the next 12 years by the QB who ranks first in the NFL over the past two seasons in: passing touchdowns, passing yards, yards per attempt, total QBR, and wins. They’ll be at the top of Super Bowl favorites each year, and Mahomes will be at the top of MVP odds. Kansas City did exactly what they needed to do.
