In an NFL where player salaries are constantly on the rise, it seems that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes may be underpaid.
Mahomes, who signed a 10-year $503 million contract with the Chiefs in 2020, shared his thoughts on the evolving quarterback market, telling USA Today’s Jarrett Bell that he doesn’t feel like he is missing out on his current deal.
“I know every time a contract comes up, everybody looks at my [average salary per year] and everything like that. I’m doing pretty well myself,” Mahomes told Bell this week. “For me, it’s just about going out there trying to win football games, trying to make money for my family at the end of the day. I feel like I’m doing a great job of that.”
After Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Miami Dolphins passer Tua Tagovailoa signed extensions on Friday, Mahomes is tied for 11th place in average salary per year at his position.
However, the length of Mahomes’ current contract provides flexibility to restructure his salary to stay competitive with changing market conditions.
In his comments to Bell, Mahomes hinted that another restructure of his deal is likely in the coming years.
“We do a great job,” Mahomes said of his representatives and the Chiefs brass. “When I restructured, kind of moving money around the last time, we talked about a certain year when we were going to go back and do it again.”
Perhaps no amount of money could adequately compensate Mahomes for his role in making Kansas City the center of the football world. His accomplishments in six years as the Chiefs’ starter transcend what was thought to be possible for a young signal-caller.
But to hear Mahomes tell it at training camp, dollars and cents are the last thing on his mind as Kansas City prepares to defend its Super Bowl LVIII title.