NFL Agent: Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Worth Close’ to $1B Contract with Open Bidding

An anonymous NFL agent expressed their belief this week that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes could land a contract worth $1 billion if he were to ever hit the open market.

Speaking to Ben Standig of The Athletic, the agent said: “[Dallas Cowboys quarterback] Dak [Prescott] has a shot at $60 million [per year], so Mahomes would get at least $70 million AAV.
Another 10-year contract with open bidding might get him close to a billion overall. He’d be the NFL’s Shohei Ohtani. One of one.”

Mahomes currently has eight years left on the 10-year, $450 million contract he signed with the Chiefs in 2020, which remains the richest deal in NFL history in terms of total money.

Given that he is 28 years of age and will be 36 by the time his contract is up, it is unlikely Mahomes will be able to command $1 billion should he hit free agency in the future, but it may have been possible had he not signed the extension with Kansas City.

The impact he makes is undeniable and he already has a Hall of Fame résumé over just seven NFL seasons, highlighted by six Pro Bowl nods, two First Team all-Pro selections, three Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVP awards and two NFL MVP awards.

A strong argument can already be made for Mahomes being a top-five quarterback in NFL history, and he has a chance to challenge the legacy of Tom Brady, who holds the all-time record with seven Super Bowl wins by a player.

Every other NFL team would go to great lengths to sign Mahomes if they could, and given that all 32 teams would likely be bidding on him in free agency, a $1 billion contract would be a very real possibility.

As of now, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani has the richest contract in professional sports history, as he signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers this past offseason.
Baseball contracts are typically much larger than football contracts, but Mahomes is the type of generational player who could change that.

As things currently stand, the only way Mahomes will hit free agency again in his career is likely if his play drops off significantly or if injuries pile up. Other than that, it is probably far more likely that the Chiefs will rework or extend his current deal before he ever hits the open market.

It is difficult to envision Mahomes getting $1 billion in one-on-one negotiations with the Chiefs, but he could certainly improve on the NFL-record $450 million deal he currently has.
A new deal of some kind is almost certainly in Mahomes’ future since he has become a massive value for the Chiefs as more quarterbacks have signed their deals.

Per Spotrac, Mahomes’ average annual contract value of $45 million is only the 11th highest in the NFL among quarterbacks behind names such as Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson.

Mahomes deserves more when considering what recent quarterback contracts have looked like, but he has proved to be a team player, and him taking less than he is worth has allowed the Chiefs to lock in key players such as defensive tackle Chris Jones, center Creed Humphrey and tight end Travis Kelce to new deals.