Patrick Mahomes addresses 'underpaid' debate after Jordan Love's mammoth $220,000,000 contract extension
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is coming off a second-straight Super Bowl victory, which was the third of his career. While Mahomes is widely viewed as the best quarterback in the NFL by many, he isn't being paid as the top quarterback.
After Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love each reached contract extensions with their respective teams on Friday, Mahomes is now outside of the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. Love's $220 million deal has captured headlines and had many looking at Mahomes' contract, and the QB has addressed the topic.
Mahomes told USA TODAY Sports:
“It’s awesome for the game of football,” Mahomes said. "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.”
In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year extension worth $477 million worth up to $503 million, becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time. Since then, multiple quarterbacks have signed extensions that have surpassed his AAV.
Top 12 highest-paid QBs in 2024 by average annual value featuring Patrick Mahomes
With Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa's deals, Patrick Mahomes is now the 12th-highest quarterback in the NFL. Mahomes and Kirk Cousins are each being paid $45 million per season, which is $10 million less than the top three highest-paid quarterbacks.
Within the last two off-seasons, eight quarterbacks have signed deals that pay them $50 million or more per season. Joe Burrow, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence are all tied at No.1 by AAV, each making $55 million a year.
Here are the 12 highest-paid quarterbacks currently in the NFL:
When the Kansas City Chiefs extended Mahoes in 2020, they knew what they were doing. They were sold that Mahomes was their guy of the future and basically signed him to two contracts in one, saving them a ton of money in the long term.
With the salary cap increasing each year, players, especially quarterbacks, will be getting paid more. By signing him to a 10-year deal, the Chiefs don't have to worry about making Patrick Mahomes the highest-paid QB as his contract is set in stone.