Patrick Mahomes is the face of the NFL today. With three Super Bowls and two NFL MVP awards, there is arguably no more bankable player than the Kansas City quarterback. And yet, when you look at the league’s highest-paid players, his name is nowhere near the top.
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Yes, the man redefining the sport is making less per year than the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Dak Prescott, and even Tua Tagovailoa. Not one of these QBs has even reached a conference championship, let alone won a Super Bowl. Quite startling, one could argue — but that’s not the whole story.
Back in 2020, the Chiefs rewarded the pedigree of Patrick Mahomes by giving him the largest contract in sports history at that time — a 10-year, $450 million extension. By then, he had led the team to a Super Bowl win, earned Super Bowl MVP and regular season MVP honors, and made two AFC Championship Game appearances. So, that lucrative, long-term deal made sense.
The only reason Mahomes’ $45 million-per-year payout seems small now is that the QB salary market resets every offseason. Even Tom Brady didn’t make that kind of money back then. He signed a two-year, $50 million deal with Tampa Bay. The seven-time Super Bowl winner took pay cuts to help his team build a championship roster — something Mahomes seems to be doing as well.
To put it statistically, more than 12 quarterbacks in the NFL are making significantly more than Patrick Mahomes on a per-year basis. Here’s how some of the recent deals compare, according to OverTheCap:
- Dak Prescott (Cowboys) – $60M/year
- Joe Burrow (Bengals) – $55M/year
- Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) – $55M/year
- Jordan Love (Packers) – $55M/year
- Josh Allen (Bills) – $55M/year
- Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) – $53.1M/year
- Jared Goff (Lions) – $53M/year
- Justin Herbert (Chargers) – $52.5M/year
- Lamar Jackson (Ravens) – $52M/year
- Jalen Hurts (Eagles) – $51M/year
From a pure numbers perspective, or even from an equity lens, Mahomes’ yearly salary doesn’t make sense, as he is the quarterback every team wishes they had. So, is Mahomes being underpaid?
While the answer should be a resounding yes, the Chiefs star doesn’t see it that way. He doesn’t give finances too much credence because his priority is simple — win trophies and be with his family.
“It’s awesome for the game of football,” Mahomes said, while addressing the rising QB market. “I’m doing pretty well myself… I’m just trying to win football games and make money for my family.”
That said, the Chiefs have done their part to ensure Mahomes gets paid his worth. In 2023, they restructured his deal to move up $210.6 million in guaranteed money between 2023 and 2026. This gave him the largest four-year cash flow in NFL history [52.65 million/year], ensuring that Mahomes remains well-compensated while keeping his contract team-friendly.
While a $52.65 million salary still makes Mahomes underpaid in comparison, it’s worth noting that his contract can be revisited soon. In 2026, he will have the opportunity to renegotiate a deal that could push him into the $60 million-per-year range, like Dak Prescott—perhaps even more.
That said, it’s clear that Patrick Mahomes isn’t concerned about the numbers. His focus has always been on the field, which is why he’s already a three-time Super Bowl winner after just eight seasons in the pros. He has also reached the Big Game five times already.
