NFL insider highlights potential flaw in Patrick Mahomes’ $450,000,000 contract that restricts 3x Super Bowl champ’s offseason wind-down
They say it's not great for anyone to be all work and no play but what happens to people like Patrick Mahomes, when playing is their work? That is the question that many might ask, especially since it's the NFL offseason.
One would assume that the best players need downtime to recharge for a grueling season. And they would want to do whatever they can to destress. But the truth is that all the players in the NFL are under contract and that regulates what they can and cannot do.
For example, Patrick Mahomes has a stipulation in his contract that the guarantees cannot be honored by the franchise if he gets injured playing basketball, among other activities during the offseason.
Marc Raimondi reported for ESPN that it is something that is taken seriously within the Chiefs locker room and it reportedly emerged because the quarterback was filmed dribbling some balls.
Tyrann Mathieu, formerly with Kansas City, said:
"When I was in Kansas City, basketball was the thing that you couldn't do. I think somebody took a video of [Mahomes] playing basketball, and that's how that started, because then they didn't want anybody playing basketball."
Head coach Andy Reid has a simpler, albeit vaguer, directive in what things to avoid:
"All the dangerous things. Things where they get hurt, you don't want them to do."
Patrick Mahomes finds ways to have a productive offseason
So, one might wonder what Patrick Mahomes does in his offseason if he is not playing basketball. He does attend various events and spends some time with his family, which we do know from his various appearances. But what is perhaps not well known is how much time he puts into staying in shape and building the tissues that he will need for his game.
His trainer posted a video of his workout this offseason and it showed him working through a strict regimen. The exercises were reported to build pattern stability, force absorption and transmission.
It shows that being an NFL player is a full-time job, especially if one wants to be as good as Patrick Mahomes. Rather than just following what the contract stipulates and what he can and cannot do, he follows his own exercise schedule to make sure that he goes above and beyond what is required. That makes sure that he is in the best mental and physical shape to hit any incentives that his deal gives.