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The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to re-negotiate quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s contract, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
According to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, the change is expected to happen prior to the start of the 2023 season.
Mahomes’ current contract, which he signed in 2020, was a record-breaking 10-year, $450 million deal, the largest contract in NFL history at the time. However, since then, other quarterbacks have signed extensions that have moved them ahead of Mahomes in terms of average salary per year.
Currently, Mahomes ranks seventh in average salary per year among quarterbacks, behind Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets, Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns.
This new development represents a significant shift in the salary hierarchy for Mahomes, who was previously celebrated for securing a groundbreaking contract. Now, after the recent contract extensions for Jackson, Hurts, and others, Mahomes’ contract has been pushed down the list.
In late April, Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million extension with the Baltimore Ravens, which translates to an average annual salary of $52 million, the highest in history. Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles in mid-April, securing an average salary of $51 million per year.
With these new contracts in place, Mahomes’ representatives are expected to seek a new deal that would surpass these figures and make him once again the highest-paid player in the league. Based on conversations with those familiar with the situation, Florio believes that this will happen before the start of the 2023 season.
Mahomes, led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory in the 2019 and 2023 seasons and was named MVP of both games. He has quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier quarterbacks. He has thrown for over 14,000 yards and 114 touchdowns in his first three seasons in the NFL and has become a household name and a face of the league since.
As the Chiefs look to build on their recent success and compete for another championship, they will need Mahomes to be at his best. A new contract that recognizes his value as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks will be an important step in that direction.