According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is now the highest-paid player in NFL history after signing a four-year, $240 million contract extension.
With some of the league’s top quarterbacks receiving record-breaking deals in recent years, it’s worth revisiting Patrick Mahomes’ 10-year, $450 million contract, which the reigning Super Bowl MVP signed in 2020.
By most standards, Mahomes has proven himself to be the NFL’s best quarterback, winning three Super Bowls in four years and being awarded NFL MVP twice.
As other quarterbacks with fewer accolades receive substantially more money, it puts Mahomes’ $45 million average per year (APY) into perspective.
Following the announcement of Prescott’s record deal, Schefter tweeted a list of the NFL’s top quarterbacks by APY. Mahomes didn’t crack the top 10.
A new leader: Highest paid QBs in the NFL on a per-year basis:
🏈Dak Prescott: $60M
🏈Joe Burrow: $55M
🏈Jordan Love: $55M
🏈Trevor Lawrence: $55M
🏈Tua Tagovailoa: $53.1M
🏈Jared Goff: $53M
🏈Justin Herbert: $52.5M
🏈Lamar Jackson: $52M
🏈Jalen Hurts: $51M— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2024
As Mahomes continues to receive accolades and chase a third-straight Super Bowl victory, a feat that has never been accomplished in NFL history, he is being outearned by 11 quarterbacks in the NFL.
None of the 11 signal-callers with bigger contracts than Mahomes have won a Super Bowl.
With teams paying top dollar for quarterbacks, Mahomes’ contract appears to be an absolute steal and a masterful gambit by Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach.
