Adam TeicherESPN Staff Writer May 24, 2023 4:24pm ET3 minute read
Mahomes focused on the legacy rather than money
Patrick Mahomes explains why being able to have a competitive team means more than having the most money.
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Since Patrick Mahomes signed what was then the richest contract in NFL history, he has watched his annual salary drop to seventh among the league’s quarterbacks.
Mahomes said Wednesday, after the Chiefs completed their first week of offseason training, that he didn’t find this development worrying.
“I’ve always said that legacy and winning rings worries me more than making money right now,” he said. “We see what’s going on in the league but at the same time I will never do anything that could harm us by keeping the great players around me. So it kind of fluctuates at that limit.”
Mahomes became the NFL’s highest-paid player in the summer of 2020 when he signed a ten-year, $450 million extension. Since then, no player has surpassed that contract for overall value, but six other quarterbacks — including Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and this offseason, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson — have overtaken Mahomes in average salary.
Mahomes could fall further down the payroll this summer if Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert sign lucrative contract extensions, both of whom are eligible for long-term deals for the first time.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in the offseason that the Chiefs would consider extending Mahomes’ contract, though he didn’t provide a timeline. Mahomes’ current contract runs until 2031.
“You just want to do whatever it takes to not hurt other quarterbacks.” [financially]”Mahomes said. “Whenever your contracts come about, you want to keep the bar high [higher].
“It’s not about being the highest paid man; it’s not about making a lot of money. I made enough money to be there for the rest of my life. But at the same time, you have to find that.” In that line, you make a lot of money, but you still have a lot of great players around you, so you can win those Super Bowls and get into those games.”
Mahomes said it was a difficult balance between the two.
“I think it’s for all these people,” he said. “I think you’re looking at the guys who get paid in the final break of the season – they’re trying to find the right spot.”
“If you look at the big players in the league, they find the right place where they’re getting a lot of money but at the same time keeping a lot of these great players. … I understand you look at the squad and there are guys like Chris [Jones] And [L’Jarius] Sneed and even Travis [Kelce] – all these people that you have to have around to have these great teams. But at the same time, you want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.