Thanks to inking a American sports record ten-year, $503 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, NFL and Super Bowl MVP quarterback, Patrick Mahomes and his ground-breaking deal have already has some reverberations across the football landscape as to which current and future NFL player is next in line.
There often isn’t a player on contract deal that completely reshapes sports. Mahomes’ uberdeal did more than that, it transformed the pay scale for all players, especially quarterbacks. Mahomes’ notable accomplishments that I blogged about here speak for themselves in what he has managed to do in his first three years in the NFL.
Now, while it is unfair to put such a young football maestro such as Mahomes in the company and class of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers, but aside from trailing Brady in rings by five and Manning by one, he has as many as Rodgers, Russell Willson (1) and Drew Brees (1).
In breaking down the contract, Mahomes is locked up for 12 years in total—counting his two-year extension—while giving the Chiefs financial flexibility to build around, Kansas City could be set up to become the league’s next dynasty. For now though, the three top-tier QB’s who could be next in line for a ‘Mahomes special’ are;
Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans): 67.3 completion percentage, 9,716 yards passing, 71 touchdowns, 29 interceptions and a QB rating of 101.0
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens): 63.7 completion percentage, 4,328 yards passing, 42 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a QB rating of 104.7, 2019 NFL MVP.
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): 65.8 completion percentage, 15,778 yards passing, 97 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and a QB rating of 97.0, currently in talks with Cowboys for long-term extension, recently signed $31.5 million franchise tender.
In my opinion, while I feel that Watson is perhaps the closest thing to a rival that Mahomes has as a rival in terms of production, talent and ability, if I were a betting man, I’d go with Lamar Jackson as the next in line for a Mahomes deal due to his production after one full year under center, in addition to grabbing the NFL MVP, the same time line as Mahomes when he won his back in 2018 in his first full year as a starter.
Looking head, potential future megadeals loom for DE Myles Garrett, RB’s Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb—who finished No.1 and 2 in rushing—current top overall picks in Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow and potential top overall 2021 picks in Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence.
Longshots who MIGHT be in line for a future Mahomes contract include Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love and Trey Lance.
While some may call this silly or not possible, who would have HONESTLY thought that after the Chicago Bears traded up to No.2 for Mitchell Trubisky—whom I’m sure are kicking themselves and regretting their Seward’s Folly—would usurp Alex Smith and go on to have perhaps the greatest single season ever by a QB.
Who would have thought that a player taken 10th overall—not No.1 like currently-maligned top pick in 2017, Baker Mayfield would be on the precipice of being called the most talented player ever to play under center and rewrite how all contracts in sports will be negotiated.
Period.
There were the doubters and haters that questioned the Chiefs taking Mahomes. “He was from a gimmicky offense in Lubbock”. “Big 12 QB’s suck in the NFL” “The Air Raid will never work in the NFL”.
Well, two years later you have a former disciple of it out in Arizona in Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the aforementioned 2018 Heisman Trophy winner and 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year in Murray running the same concepts and philosophy that Mahomes did when he was down in Lubbock at Texas Tech.
So, after Jackson, I would wager that Murray will get the next Mahomes megadeal AFTER Lamar.
For now, amidst this ongoing pandemic that has kept all of us inside and confined to debating theoreticals such as this, let’s just sit back and debate on who will be the next NFL player to follow in Mahomes’ cleats and rewrite the books.