Report: Mahomes expected to be highest paid player in NFL when 2023 season begins

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Patrick Mahomes is consistently setting the standard for his peers.

The 2022 NFL MVP and soon-to-be sixth-year starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs is often a standard-bearer of quarterback play on the field, and -- according to a report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio -- will soon set the standard for quarterback contracts once again. Three years ago, Mahomes signed a 12-year deal that upped the highest average per year rate for a quarterback by roughly $10 million to $45 million annually.

And after recent contract extensions for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Baltimore Ravens signal-caller Lamar Jackson set a new market, Mahomes is now $7 million behind the highest-paid player in the sport. On Tuesday, Florio said Mahomes is expected to once again become the highest-paid quarterback -- and player -- in the NFL before the 2023 season kicks off.

A week ago, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt admitted that Mahomes will never be paid what he is truly worth to the franchise.

“I don’t know that there’s really a way to quantify it financially and no matter what he makes over his career, I’m sure one way or another he’ll be underpaid,” Hunt said during the weekend of the 2023 NFL Draft. “The great thing about Patrick is, when we did (the 12-year extension) deal, he recognized that he wanted to give the club flexibility to build the team around him. And that contract was structured in that way.”

Last season, Mahomes set the record for most percentage of a team’s salary cap occupied by the starting quarterback. That came after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV with Mahomes occupying just 2.38 percent of the salary cap while on his rookie contract. With two Super Bowl titles on his mantle already, striking a balance between paying Mahomes a fair market rate and creating flexibility for general manager Brett Veach will continue to be key for the Chiefs’ overall roster building.