Change Is Probably Coming To Patrick Mahomes' Big Contract

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has appeared in five of the last six Super Bowls, winning three.

Since taking over as the starter in Kansas City in 2018, Mahomes has proven to be the best quarterback in football. The 10-year, $450 million extension he signed in 2020 is almost a bargain at this point. However, that doesn't mean that Mahomes' contract doesn't need to be touched up and reworked.

The two-time MVP's cap hit for 2025 is currently $66 million. That might be prohibitive for the Chiefs as they try to augment their roster and avenge their 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59.

As a result, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggests some alterations to Mahomes' deal are forthcoming. 

"The simplest path to reducing the Mahomes cap number comes from a simple restructuring," Florio writes. "His total 2025 compensation of $49 million (plus a $1 million workout bonus) could be shifted to a guaranteed payment, with his base salary dropped to the minimum of $1.255 million.

"By giving him a $47.745 million dollar restructuring bonus and spreading it over five years, Mahomes’s 2025 cap burden would be $11.8 million. Coupled with past bonuses, his cap number for 2025 would be $28 million."

Of course, Mahomes would then have an astronomical cap hit in 2026, which the Chiefs would have to deal with. As long as he continues to perform at such a high level, kicking the proverbial can down the road will be a palatable option.

At some point, the Chiefs may have to give Mahomes an entirely new deal in an effort to make sure he's compensated fairly as salaries continue to skyrocket. That's an entirely different issue though. 

In 16 starts this past season, Mahomes completed a career-high 67.5% of his passes, throwing for 3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Including the playoffs, the Chiefs went 17-2 in games he started.