Prior to signing his historic contract on Monday, one that’s worth up to half a billion dollars, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes had all the leverage an NFL player could have dreamed of.
Not only is he young (24 years old) and accomplished (he already has a Super Bowl MVP and an MVP under his belt), he also plays quarterback, the game’s most important position.
To be sure, there were no shortage of agents and players throughout the league rooting for him to change the game with his contract extension with the Chiefs, something he could have accomplished by forcing the team’s hand to give him a percentage of his salary tied to the salary cap.