Patrick Mahomes Worried About Legacy, Not Contract

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Patrick Mahomes has already accomplished so much in his young career. Just a few months ago, he won his second Super Bowl. Mahomes has also earned five Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro selections and two AP NFL MVP awards. In his five years as the starting quarterback, the Kansas City Chiefs have reached the AFC Championship Game in all five seasons and the Super Bowl in three of those years.

Patrick Mahomes entered a new phase of his career last season. And in doing so, the Texas Tech product was surrounded by arguably his weakest supporting cast, at least on paper. A mid-season addition of Kadarius Toney gave Kansas City a necessary boost for the stretch run, however. But for a pass catching group that was largely unproven, Mahomes and the Chiefs still finished first in the NFL in yards and points in 2022.

With the work ethic and leadership of Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs will continue to evolve and grow as his career gets deeper. But, there are rumors swirling about a new contract extension for the signal caller. Mahomes is not as focused on that, compared to what the reports may indicate, as he talked about on Wednesday. Let’s kick it off.

Mahomes Worried About Legacy, Winning Rings At This Moment

Recent reports have indicated that Patrick Mahomes could receive a reworked deal. Overall, there was speculation that Kansas City would reward him as being the highest-paid player in the league. Due to recent quarterback contract extensions, like Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson, Mahomes is not close to being the highest paid.

If those reports were true, it seems that Patrick Mahomes does not care one bit about being the highest-paid player in the league. Instead, the Chiefs quarterback wants to build up his already impressive legacy even further.

“I worry about legacy and winning rings more than making money at this moment,” Mahomes said in Wednesday’s media availability. “It’s not about being the highest-paid guy. It’s not about making a ton of money. I’ve made enough money, where I’ll be set for the rest of my life.”

The fire and drive to not be satisfied is part of what makes Patrick Mahomes so great. And in an era where players are more hands on with contract negotiations, Kansas City knows that Mahomes wants to leave room for other top names to get paid what they deserve, too. He even talked about how negotiations can affect other quarterback contracts.

“You just do whatever to not hurt other quarterbacks when their contracts come up,” Mahomes said. “You got to find that line where you’re making a good amount of money, but you’re still keeping a lot of great players around you so you can win these Super Bowls.”

Previous Contract Extension Still In Early Phase, Gives Chiefs Maneuverability

While Patrick Mahomes’ 10-year deal drew different reactions, it was always viewed as a future bargain for quarterback contracts. His average annual value of $45 million per season now ranks seventh among quarterback contracts for AAV (average annual value). It is widely expected that he will drop to ninth among quarterbacks in that category, once Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert get their eventual deals. The six average annual values that currently top him at the quarterback position are as follows, via Spotrac:

1. Lamar Jackson- $52 million per season
2. Jalen Hurts- $51 million per season
3. Aaron Rodgers– $50.271 million per season
4. Russell Wilson– $48.517 million per season
5. Kyler Murray– $46.1 million per season
6. Deshaun Watson– $46 million per season

Not only has the AAV for Patrick Mahomes become a bargain, that deal is still in the early stages. He currently has nine years left on his current contract. Add in the fact that Kansas City can maneuver his bonuses and adjust his cap hit each year fairly simply, and the Chiefs have built a crucial relationship. They may not always be huge spenders in free agency. But when it comes to shoring up the roster and possibly getting one percent better, as general manager Brett Veach likes to say, KC can always look to this unique contract for freedom to make those important moves.

Patrick Noticeably Name Drops Specific Players

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Extending further into his media availability, Patrick Mahomes name dropped specific players. Going back to keeping great players around him to win Super Bowls, Kansas City is likely going to have to pay two defensive stalwarts soon. Chris Jones is the immediate name that stood out. Coming off of a career season, Jones was one of the best defenders in football last year. He has arguably been the next best defensive tackle outside of the all-world Aaron Donald for the last handful of years.

Elsewhere, L’Jarius Sneed is a fascinating case to watch. We recently discussed the idea of if the Chiefs would let him walk next offseason. Historically, Kansas City has not paid top cornerbacks to retain them. Sneed is a bit of a different profile, though. His versatility to lineup in the slot, out wide, blitz and help in run support make him a threat in many facets. His play has dictated that he has earned a second contract. Yet, will the Chiefs be willing to meet his price point?

Mahomes also mentioned his security blanket, Travis Kelce. Kelce is already one of the best tight ends of all-time. However, he currently falls in the similar category that Mahomes does, when considering how much of a bargain his contract is. He is still third among tight ends in average annual value ($14.312 million per season). But compared to other elite skill players around the league, Kelce is likely underpaid by a fair margin.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.