AS far as Patrick Mahomes is concerned, the team has to come first.

Having signed a blockbuster ten-year deal with an NFL record $450million back in 2020, it’ll likely be some time until the two-time MVP is looking to take a seat at the negotiating table.

Mahomes is a two-time Super Bowl champion and MVP

Mahomes is a two-time Super Bowl champion and MVPCredit: AP

His focus remains on his legacy and not doing anything to "hurt this team"
His focus remains on his legacy and not doing anything to “hurt this team”Credit: Reuters
However, when that time comes, Mahomes’ focus is on a team-friendly deal that can help ensure success as a collective, rather than prioritizing his own wallet.

On Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback told the media: “I worry about [my] legacy and winning rings than making money at this point.

“I’ll never do anything that’ll hurt this team. You want to keep the bar pushing. It’s not about being the highest-paid guy.”

Mahomes’ attitude isn’t all that surprising given his current deal which, while enormous, is extremely team-friendly by today’s standards.

While it remains the largest deal in the league in terms of total money, his average annual value of $45million is seventh in the league.

All of the deals worth more annually than Mahomes’ were signed within the last year or so.

Leading the way is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who signed a five-year deal worth $260million earlier this month.

This made him the highest-paid player annually in league history – with an average value of $52million.

The downside of these pricey contracts, from a team perspective, is the amount of their salary cap taken up by just one deal (the current cap is $224.8million, per PFF).

A prime example of this is how the Cleveland Browns restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract after just one season this year.

Watson signed a record-setting fully-guaranteed five-year deal worth $250million with the Browns last year after he was traded by the Houston Texans.

The recent restructure cleared $36million in much-needed cap space, given that they were $14million over prior to the move, per ESPN.

These are issues the Chiefs shouldn’t have to face thanks to Mahomes’ deal which sees him earning an astronomical sum but over a longer period.

As such, when the time comes for him and the Chiefs’ front office to take a seat at the negotiating table, the signs are optimistic that they’ll still be able to spread the love around the roster.

Mahomes is entering the fourth year of his contract
Mahomes is entering the fourth year of his contract