98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
The Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes finally came to terms on their long-rumored unprecedented contract extension Monday, and it turns out that “unprecedented” may have been selling it short.
Because that man got paid.
In what is now the richest deal in sports history, the Chiefs and Mahomes agreed to a 10-year deal that is worth $477 million, but could be worth up to $503 million with both individual and team performance bonuses, according to multiple reports. The deal, which will begin in the 2022 NFL season, also comes with over $140 million guaranteed in injury protection and a no-trade clause.
The deal shatters the previous record for the richest American sports contract, set in 2019 by the Angels’ Mike Trout and his 12-year deal worth over $426 million, by over $50 million. That’s before those aforementioned bonuses factor in to Mahomes’ deal, too.
But after two exceptional years as their starter, including a Super Bowl title this past season, the Chiefs have certainly seen enough to make a decade-long investment in the 24-year-old.
Over the last two years, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to a league-best 23-7 record, with his 23 wins tying Tom Brady for the most in the NFL over that span. Mahomes has also thrown a league-best 76 touchdowns over that two-year run (including a league-leading 50 in 2018), and his 9,128 passing yards are the third-most in the NFL since 2018.
Mahomes has also put together some fantastic postseason performances, 13 touchdowns (and just two interceptions) and 1,474 yards to go with a 4-1 record and, again, a ring for his Super Bowl LIV performance over the 49ers.
Nevertheless, this Mahomes extension will lead to some extremely difficult decisions for the Chiefs down the road, with Mahomes’ cap hit worth at least $39.9 million in all but one of the 10 years on this new deal.
Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the NFL.