Patrick Mahomes will be ‘underpaid’ even if he gets new extension, Chiefs owner says
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was asked Friday about a potential new extension for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, especially in light of other QBs recently agreeing to larger deals than he has.
Hunt admitted that coming up with a dollar value for what Mahomes means to KC would be a challenging endeavor.
“I don’t know that there’s really a way to quantify it financially,” Hunt said. “And, no matter what he makes over his career, I’m sure one way or another, he’ll be underpaid.”
Mahomes agreed to a 10-year, $450 million extension in July 2020, which at the time was a record for all sports worldwide. The first season of that 10-year pact went into effect last season.
Since then, though, Mahomes has been passed by six other QBs on a per-year basis, including Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson in the last two weeks.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last week that the team had a special relationship with Mahomes and his agent Chris Cabott, indicating that the Chiefs would always want to “make sure that we’re doing right by everybody” as it related to a potential Mahomes extension.
Veach said it could be a good time to reassess Mahomes’ deal once quarterbacks Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) and Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers) sign their expected upcoming extensions.
Hunt said one thing he admired about Mahomes was that he structured his contract extension to give the Chiefs some financial breathing room.
“I think what Patrick cared most about was winning. And he certainly has been able to do a lot of that,” Hunt said. “Brett Veach has had enough flexibility to be able to add quality players each year. And that’s part of the reason why we were able to lift the Lombardi Trophy again.”
Hunt was asked Friday to summarize Mahomes’ impact on the rise of the Chiefs’ organization.
“Certainly when you talk about the success that we’ve had over the last five years, Patrick has to be right there at the top of the list,” Hunt said. “Although I think it’s unfair to rank people, because the role that (coach) Andy Reid has played certainly makes him one of the most important figures in the history of the franchise, and then Brett Veach and (president) Mark Donovan, in their respective responsibilities, have also done an outstanding job.”
Hunt said he liked to view the progression of the Chiefs as stacking bricks on top of each other while continuing to get a little better each year.
“And that’s really a credit to all those individuals I mentioned,” Hunt said. “But certainly, Patrick’s incredible, and he’s not only incredible as a player on the field, but also as a representative of the franchise off the field.”
Mahomes was a meaningful part of the NFL Draft kickoff on Thursday in Kansas City; he walked with tight end Travis Kelce across the main stage, displaying the Lombardi Trophy to Chiefs fans just before the event began at Union Station.
Hunt said the decision to have Mahomes out in front was intentional.
“Anything that we could do to highlight either Kansas City or the Chiefs was a huge win for the community,” Hunt said. “I think it’s safe to say that our No. 1 ambassador is now Patrick.”
Still the plan ...
Hunt said last July his preference was for the Chiefs to have a new or renovated stadium in their current location once the team’s lease expires in January 2031.
He reiterated Friday that Truman Sports Complex site remains his top choice for the Chiefs’ next home.
“We feel structurally that the building has an opportunity to go further,” Hunt said. “And that was part of the evaluation process we’ve been through over the last couple of years. We’re still trying to make a final decision between the renovation and a new building. But at least we know at this point that it’s an option, if we’d like to renovate Arrowhead, and keep one of the greatest traditions in pro football alive.”
Presidential visit?
Hunt said there was “not any specific news” yet relating to the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs potentially making a trip to the White House.
“We have been in contact with them and are discussing a couple of dates,” Hunt said, “but nothing’s been confirmed at this point.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 8:17 PM with the headline "Patrick Mahomes will be ‘underpaid’ even if he gets new extension, Chiefs owner says."
