National Football League

Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes more concerned with Super Bowls than salary

Updated Jan. 17, 2023 10:03 a.m. ET

Two years ago, Patrick Mahomes inked a massive 10-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs that far surpassed any of his quarterback peers. This week, for the third time this offseason, a QB signed for more in yearly wages.

Moreover, Mahomes' counterparts are agreeing to shorter deals that will allow them to hit free agency sooner. They then could sign for even more annually, all while Mahomes sits on his current contract for a decade at a lesser rate.

Mahomes, though, still leads the league in total cash, with $450 million. On Friday, the 26-year-old superstar asserted he's not concerned about being the highest-paid quarterback in the league.

"When I signed my deal, I knew I was going to be pretty set for life, regardless of what the market kind of happens," Mahomes said. "But you just keep playing. Money is one thing, but when you get those Super Bowl rings, at the end of your career, I think that’s going to be what you look back upon. I think I’ve made enough money from the football field and obviously off of it as well, that it won’t matter at the end of the day."

In March, Aaron Rodgers received a new three-year, $150.8 million deal from the Packers after winning his second straight MVP. That makes him the NFL's top-paid player per season. Kyler Murray is second on that list after signing an extension with the Cardinals this week worth $46.1 million annually. Deshaun Watson, following a March trade from the Texans to the Browns, will make $46 million a year.

Murray and Watson, of course, are nowhere near as accomplished as Mahomes. But the escalating salaries are a trend the former MVP is well aware of, which is why he predicts young stars Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow will eventually eclipse Rodgers.

"The next guy is kind of the top-paid guy," Mahomes said. "It’s awesome. You want the salary cap going up, you want players getting more and more money."

Following a slight dip amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the cap is only expected to increase exponentially moving forward. So while Mahomes' deal might have seemed outrageous in 2020, it now appears to be a major bargain for arguably the best player in the league. Unless amended, the contract is set to cover the majority of Mahomes' prime.