Patrick Mahomes’ Contract Extension Talks Reportedly Starting This Summer
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will start contract extension talks this summer, according to a new report by 105.3 The Fan radio. The team’s president went on a recent Facebook Live earlier this week and said the extension is something the two sides will “get into” over the next few months.
“But what he has said and what we’ve said, both sides is, he wants to be a Kansas City Chief for life, and that’s our mentality as well. We want him to play his entire career in Kansas City, and that’s what we’re going to be shooting for.”
Mahomes is on the fourth-year of his rookie contract. If he isn’t signed to a new deal he’s set to make just $5.3 million. It’s expected that when a new deal is struck between the two sides, Mahomes will emerge as the highest-paid player in the NFL based on what he’s done in his very short time in the league.
Mahomes won the NFL MVP award in 2018 and followed that up with a Super Bowl championship in 2019. The signal-caller managed to pass for over 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns and only had five interceptions. He put up those numbers after suffering a dislocated knee cap in the middle of the season. Despite an injury, some thought would end his season, Mahomes missed just one game.
During his appearance on social media, Hunt reportedly made it clear he understands what the quarterback means to the Chiefs. The exec is impressed with Mahomes’ stats but he’s also impressed with the player’s intangibles. “In terms of special qualities, the thing that really struck me in 2018, the first year that he became a full-time starter for us, was his leadership ability,” Hunt said. He added the team had seen Mahomes make some incredible throws, including 70-yard bombs. They’d watched him avoid the rush and make some great throws on the run.
Hunt said they didn’t realize they were going to be getting a player who would be such a leader at 23-years-old. He added the NFL locker room can be a hard place to navigate but the front office saw players looking up to Mahomes right away.
The exec also said Mahomes has a great deal of humility. That too, is something members of the front office were impressed to see, especially from someone who won the team over so quickly. While the Chiefs are interested in locking up their quarterback for a long time, the team is a bit handcuffed by the NFL’s salary cap. The team entered the spring just a few dollars under that cap and while they’ve maneuvered to make more space, there’s a degree of difficulty in getting the space that could be needed with a big contract for Mahomes.
