The quarterback market has skyrocketed, with many signal-callers now securing extensions north of $50-$53 million annual pay per year. This surge has left some fans scratching their heads, wondering why, arguably the NFL’s best quarterback, Patrick Mahomes isn’t even in the top 10 for “new money APY.” Well, Pro Football Network’s Mike Florio recently explained that there’s a reason behind this apparent situation.
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Florio shed light on why Mahomes and the Chiefs aren’t losing sleep over these eye-popping negotiations. As per NFL on CBS, he talked about the current cash flow and explained the situation, saying, “Because from 2023 to 2026, that four-year window, his cash flow is higher than anyone else in the league. Even now, now that Tua has signed his deal, now that Jordan Love has his and all the other big deals in the 50s. Cash flow from 2024 through 2027, No.1 Mahomes at $215.6 million.”
As Mike Florio highlighted, the numbers don’t lie. Mahomes is set to pocket a whopping $215.6 million from 2024 through 2027, putting him at the top of the QB money pile. This figure outpaces other high-earners like Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, Jared Goff, and Tua Tagovailoa, despite their seemingly higher average annual values.
Florio then showed the complexity of modern NFL contracts by comparing Love and Tagovailoa’s deals. Both quarterbacks share the same representation, yet their contracts tell different stories. Tua will actually earn $100,000 more than Love over the next four years, even though Love’s average annual salary is $1.9 million higher.
Still, Florio couldn’t help but question the quarterback’s decision to sign a 12-year extension in the first place. He suggested that Mahomes should consider re-entering contract talks sooner rather than later, pushing the Chiefs to work out a fresh deal.
Does Mahomes Believe He Is Underpaid?
While fans and analysts fret over Patrick Mahomes potentially being underpaid, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback seems perfectly happy with his financial situation. Even as other signal-callers have leapfrogged him in average annual value, Mahomes isn’t hitting the panic button.
In a candid chat with USA TODAY Sports following a Chiefs training camp practice on Sunday, Mahomes shared:
“It’s awesome for the quarterback position, but I think all positions. I know every time a contract comes up, everybody looks at my APY (average per year) and everything like that. I’m doing pretty well myself. For me, it’s just about going out there trying to win football games, trying to make money for my family at the end of the day. I feel like I’m doing a great job of that.”
Although Mike Florio’s explanation offers valuable insight into why Mahomes isn’t thinking about a new deal. Seeing a player of Mahomes’ caliber not topping the highest-paid list naturally raises eyebrows among fans.
Many believe Mahomes deserves $65-$75 million per year if others are commanding $55 million. After all, since becoming the starter in 2018 (his second year as a pro), Mahomes has never failed to lead the Chiefs to at least the AFC title game. So even if the QB’s new deal is not around the corner, he has outperformed the contract he signed back in 2020, by all measures.
