Pro Football Focus explains why Patrick Mahomes’ contract is a good deal for Chiefs

News of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs last summer was so big it made headlines outside of the United States.

That makes sense because Mahomes can earn a half-billion dollars in the lifetime of the contract, which would keep him with the Chiefs through 2031.

But the contract is not an anchor that will weigh down the Chiefs, according to one analysis.

As the Pro Football Network noted, Mahomes will have a base salary above $5 million just once in the first seven years of the deal.

This week Pro Football Focus picked the best and worst contract for every AFC team, and Mahomes’ megadeal made the best list.

Patrick Spielberger wrote that the best contracts were determined by teams “getting great on-field value as compared to compensation.”

Here is part of what Spielberger wrote about the Mahomes deal: “To get 10 years of cost control on your franchise quarterback — a player who already looks to be one of the best to ever do it — provides a value that is hard to express in a blurb.

“Each offseason, much like they did this past offseason, the Chiefs can lump sum money into a signing bonus and clear the necessary cap space to make moves. This year, it was signing guard Joe Thuney to the richest deal for the position in NFL history. The flexibility and certainty provided with this mega-contract will lead to more restful nights among Kansas City front office staff than any other contract for a very long time.”

You can read the rest of the story here, including more on Mahomes deal and the worst contract for the Chiefs.