The history of the Kansas City Chiefs took a big turn in the 2017 NFL Draft. Their trade up to the 10th overall pick was viewed by some people as a risky move when they took a prospect from Texas Tech, although Patrick Mahomes might already be the best player ever in the franchise.
Kansas City went to five straight AFC Championship Games in his five years as the starter. His accolades include three tripsto theSuper Bowl, winning two of them. It is such an impressive list of achievements for the beginning of a career that he could only be paired with Tom Brady.
Mahomes also has two NFL MVPs under his belt, so it’s natural to question why he isn’t even in the top 5 of highest paid players. Something that could be changing sooner rather than later.
Patrick Mahomes’ contract
The quarterback signed an unprecedented contract after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl LIV. His 10-year deal worth 450 million dollars was the highest ever in NFL history when it comes to the total value.
Those 45M per season he averaged were the top salary in 2020, but now that’s no longer the case. Mahomes is expected to receive a new contract that would make him the highest paid player in the league before the season starts, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Everything points to Kansas City updating his salary despite there are still a lot left in that extension. General manager Brett Veach was the first one to acknowledge this possibility. Then Clark Hunt also referred to it with a bold statement. It would mean he may no longer have a team-friendly deal, although there is no denying he earned being at the top.
Who is the highest paid quarterback in the NFL?
Six quarterbacks have surpassed Mahomes since then. Aaron Rodgers when he was with the Green Bay Packers, Russell Wilson with the Denver Broncos, Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals, and Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns were the first four.
Recently Jalen Hurts became the highest paid quarterback when the Philadelphia Eagles gave him a massive extension. That only lasted for a few days because Lamar Jackson is now the player at the top after reaching an agreement with the Baltimore Ravens. What is expected to happen for Mahomes is waiting for Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert to get their deals before breaking the bank again.
Highest paid QBs by AAV
1 – Lamar Jackson – $52,000,000
2 – Jalen Hurts – $51,000,000
3 – Aaron Rodgers – $50,271,667
4 – Russell Wilson – $48,517,647
5 – Kyler Murray – $46,100,000
6 – Deshaun Watson – $46,000,000
7 – Patrick Mahomes – $45,000,000
8 – Josh Allen – $43,005,667
T9 – Dak Prescott – $40,000,000
T9 – Daniel Jones – $40,000,000
T9 – Matthew Stafford – $40,000,000
*Figures via Spotrac
