During the last several weeks, national NFL writers have been busy speculating that two-time NFL (and Super Bowl) MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes will soon be re-negotiating his contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Florio isn’t the only one, however. Writing for The 33rd Team on May 9, former Minnesota Vikings GM Jeff Diamond said it will happen because Mahomes is no longer the league’s highest-paid quarterback.
Mahomes already has restructured to give the Chiefs salary cap relief, but the first true renegotiation is likely to take place in the next few months. This is because Mahomes’ $45 million per year average in new money — actually $40 million per year when factoring in the two years he had remaining in his rookie contract — now ranks seventh among NFL quarterbacks. He’ll likely have the ninth-highest average after Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert are extended before the 2023 season.
On Wednesday, Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson added another name to that list, saying that soon, Mahomes will be even further behind.
That’s six quarterbacks who have exceeded Mahomes in average annual salary and overall guaranteed money. Soon enough (and barring a Mahomes renegotiation), that list will be joined by Burrow, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert and Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence. By the start of the 2024 season, Mahomes could be the 10th highest-paid quarterback in the league.
All of these well-respected writers could be exactly right. By Week 1, Mahomes could once again be the league’s highest-paid player.
