Mahomes accepts losing NFL’s highest-paid player status
No longer being the highest-paid player in the NFL does not bother Patrick Mahomes, who expects to fall further down the list soon
Patrick Mahomes is not too worried about no longer being the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback because, as he explains, his contract still means he is “set for life”. When he put pen to paper on a 10-year, $450million extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, Mahomes became the best-paid player in the league with an average annual salary of $45m.
Mahomes drops down to fourth
However, deals signed by Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson this offseason have bumped the Chiefs signal caller down to fourth on the list. Not that it matters much to Mahomes, who expects he will slip further away from the top spot in the coming years.
“When I signed my deal, I knew I was going to be pretty set for life regardless of how the market happens,’’ he explained. “You just keep playing. Money is one thing, but when you get those Super Bowl rings at the end of your career, I think that’s going to be the thing that you look back upon. I think I’ve made enough money from the football field and off of it as well that it won’t matter at the end of the day. Especially at the quarterback position, the next guy is the top-paid guy. Any of these top-tier quarterbacks, they make such a difference on NFL football teams that [older contracts are] going to get passed up. They’ll keep setting the bar even higher. You always want to get paid and take care of your family, but I want to have a great team around me as well. Whatever way that is, I’m going to make sure I have a great team around me for the rest of my career.”
Chiefs waiting on Brown
The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Orlando Brown last March but were unable to sign him to a long-term deal before last week’s deadline, and it is unclear whether the left tackle will report for training camp next week.
“He’s a great team player. He has a high IQ,” Mahomes said. “You want him to be here just because of the guy he is, and he’s a leader on this football team. But at the same time when it comes to money and contracts and stuff like that, I never force anyone to do anything because I know they’re trying to provide for their family long term. But as a team-mate and as a friend, you want him to be here and be a part of this. It didn’t work out for him this offseason the way that he wanted it to, but whenever he gets here I’m sure he will be ready to go and he’ll go out there and show what calibre of player he is again.”