On Monday, it was reported that the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes had agreed on a massive contract worth up to $503 million over the course of a decade. Naturally that got Buffalo Bills fans thinking about their young quarterback. It’s time to slow that roll.
There’s a reason this is the richest contract in North American sports history. Mahomes is a freak. Only a handful of players in NFL history have ever earned contracts of this level of magnitude. Here are some pertinent benchmarks for each player from BEFORE they signed their ten-year deals:
Drew Bledsoe
10 years, $103 million in 2001
Three Pro Bowls, one Super Bowl appearance, one All-Pro second team, led the league in passing once
Brett Favre
10 years, $100 million in 2001
Three-time NFL MVP, three-time All-Pro first team, six Pro Bowls, one Super Bowl win, led the league in passing twice and passing TDs three times
Donovan McNabb
12 years, $115 million in 2002
Second in MVP voting once, Two Pro Bowls, one NFC Championship game appearance
Daunte Culpepper
10 years, $102 million in 2003
One All-Pro first team, one Pro Bowl, one NFC Championship game appearance, NFL passing TDs leader in 2000
Mike Vick
10 years, $130 million in 2005
Two Pro Bowls
Patrick Mahomes
10 years, $503 million in 2020
One NFL MVP award, one Super Bowl win & MVP, one All-Pro first team, two Pro Bowls, led league in passing touchdowns once
“What would Josh Allen have to do to sign a $500-million deal in the near future?