KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ever since signing what at the time was the richest contract in NFL history, Patrick Mahomes has watched as his annual pay has slipped to seventh among the league's quarterbacks.
Mahomes indicated Wednesday after the Chiefs concluded their first week of offseason practice that he didn't find this development troubling. «I've always said I worry about legacy and winning rings more than making money at this moment,» he said. «We see what's going on around the league, but at the same time, I'll never do anything that's going to hurt us from keeping the great players around me.
So it's kind of teetering around that line.» Mahomes became the NFL's highest-paid player in summer 2020 when he signed a 10-year extension worth $450 million.
No player has since topped that contract in terms of total value, but six other quarterbacks — including Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and, this offseason, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson — have passed Mahomes in average pay.