Patrick Mahomes is arguably one of the best QBs of his generation and players should be lining up to join him just like players did for Tom Brady. But that hasn’t happened so far. The former Chiefs Offensive Tackle, Mitchell Schwartz had a Q/A session on X(formerly Twitter), where he explained why many free agents aren’t clamoring to join the 2-time SB winner.
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During the Q&A, a fan raised a question about the prevailing notion that players are willing to accept a pay cut to play with Mahomes. The inquiry revolved around why such instances haven’t materialized yet. Schwartz said anyone who believes that players are willing to take less doesn’t understand the thought process of NFL players and free agents.
He asserted that in football, it’s a reality that a young player in his prime who has recently become a free agent will always prioritize money over success. As players progress into veteran status in the league, their focus and priorities shift towards success, and they would be more than willing to join Mahomes.
The Chiefs did sign 15 free agents before the start of this season. Jawaan Taylor, Charles Omenihu, Justin Watson, Donovan Smith, Drue Tranquill, Mike Edwards, Nick Allegretti, Jerick McKinnon, Blaine Gabbert, Deon Bush, Richie James, Derrick Nnadi, Blake Bell, Matt Dickerson and Lamar Jackson as per Spotrac.
Taylor was the biggest prize because they desperately needed an LT and were willing to part with $60m in guaranteed money. Omenihu got suspended by the league for 6 games but made 28 tackles and 7 sacks in the remaining games. Tranquill has played in every game and has made 79 tackles along with 4.5 sacks. Others have just served as backups throughout the season.
The Chiefs have struggled offensively this season, especially in the receiving department. Jarvis Landry, Sammy Watkins, Ty Hilton, Marvin Jones Jr., and Kenny Golladay are some of the wideouts available in free agency and could potentially help Mahomes next season.
The Chiefs haven’t been able to use free agency this season and most of the players have been signed on a short-term deal. Their inability to sign some good free agents is partially because of cap space, which is only $25m as of now. Most starters and biggest positions have large salaries in guaranteed money. Mahomes is on one of the biggest contracts in NFL history, a 10-year $450m deal. This is what separates Brady from him.
Tom Brady claimed to have sacrificed up to $100 million during his time with the Patriots, ensuring the franchise had the financial means to attract talent and recruit successful coaches. This assertion by Brady seems validated by the fact that, despite the inflated quarterback market, with players like Deshaun Watson earning over $40 million per year, Brady consistently ranked outside the top-paid quarterbacks from 2014 to 2018, despite his continued productivity and Super Bowl victories until the end of his career, as per Yahoo.com.
This helped him in getting some great veterans as free agents throughout his career. But that got him criticism from people who asserted that the 7-time SB winner only wanted to play with vets.
Tom Brady Got In Trouble for Playing With Veterans
Tom Brady retired as the GOAT of the game. During his long career, he played alongside many league veterans, which somehow created a notion that to succeed Brady only wanted his team stacked with vets and who wouldn’t want to play for him.
3-time NFL MVP, however, pushed back at the narrative and asserted that teams, he played for had great organizations and players, and players were more than willing to join that setup. It was never about him alone. While playing for Tampa, this is what he said about the narrative that veterans and free agents like Gronk, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, etc joined the Buccaneers because of him.
“Guys choose this team because of the team, not because of me. We have a great organization and great teammates, and I think people are excited to come join a great group of people, a great group of men. It’s never about one person. That isn’t ever what this sport is about. It’s the ultimate team sport. I love playing with professional players, players that want to work hard, and players that put the team first.” as per Saturday Tradition.
Who wouldn’t want to play for the GOAT? To get the best talent around him, Mahomes should try to emulate Brady’s approach if he wants to dominate the league in the coming years.
