Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Pushes Back Against Narrative That He is ‘Underpaid’

There might be no quarterback in the NFL who is more gifted than Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Even when the team struggled in 2023 with an arguably less-than-stellar wide receiver room, the Chiefs found their way to the first back-to-back Super Bowl wins since the Patriots accomplished that feat in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

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Mahomes continued to show that through adversity regarding dropped passes and turnovers, the Chiefs just need to stay the course to see another championship come their way. That was the case, and many believe that Mahomes should be in the conversation among the game’s “greatest of all time,” right next to Tom Brady.

The other conversation that also continually comes up surrounding Mahomes is his ability versus what he makes on an annual basis via his contract. Every time a quarterback in the NFL gets a record-breaking contract, the narrative is shifted to Mahomes being “underpaid.” Mahomes has now responded to the narrative, pushing back against it entirely.

While speaking to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, Mahomes made it clear that he does not take it personally when a quarterback gets a new deal.

“It’s awesome for the game of football. It’s awesome for the quarterback position, but I think all positions. I know every time a contract comes up, everybody looks at my APY (average per year) and everything like that. I’m doing pretty well myself. 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,” Mahomes stated.

Mahomes makes $45 million a year after he signed the most lucrative contract in NFL history in 2020. The Chiefs offered the signal caller a 10-year, $450 million contract that was unheard of until that point.

The contract pays Mahomes $45 million a year, which is far less than his cohorts. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Jaguars signal caller Trevor Lawrence, and Packers quarterback Jordan Love all make $55 million per season.

Right behind them is Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who earns $53.1 million per year. The Lions’ Jared Goff nets $53 million per season.

Chargers Pro Bowler Justin Herbert draws $52.5 million per season, Ravens MVP Lamar Jackson makes $52 million per season, and Eagles star Jalen Hurts yields $51 million per season.

This makes eight quarterbacks who have a higher annual average than Mahomes. What is the difference between them all and Mahomes? He has three Super Bowl wins in the last five seasons.

Even with all this information, does Mahomes feel underpaid?

“Not necessarily,” Mahomes claimed.

Mahomes has always put the Chiefs first, and instead of focusing on a contract that “resets” the market, he believes the monster contract he received from the team is more than enough.

“I think we do a great job of managing my money, to be able to pay me a lot of money and keep a good team around me. I know we’ve kind of restructured it a couple of times and got the cash flow up in certain spots and certain years. It’s about having a good dialogue, good communication with the front office, with ownership. We’ve done that here. And as we’ve been able to allow me to be a highly-paid guy while at the same time build a great team around me,” Mahomes added.