Deshaun Watson has to be loving the Patrick Mahomes contract
Patrick Mahomes’ new deal means a flurry of cash in Deshaun Watson’s upcoming extension with the Houston Texans.
Deshaun Watson was always going to get paid. Now? He’s going to get P-A-I-D.
On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes agreed on a 10-year, $400+ million extension, tying him to the franchise through the 2031 campaign. It’s a record-setting contract in overall value and almost certainly in guarantees (those figures haven’t been released).
While Watson isn’t going to get Mahomes’ money, he’s going to come in right below him.
With the market not only reset but blown up, Watson stands to be the next quarterback who gets top-dollar, alongside Dallas Cowboys’ star Dak Prescott.
Why Patrick Mahomes getting paid means a ton to Deshaun Watson
Only 24 years old, Watson has already led the Texans to a pair of AFC South titles with little support. Last season, he won a playoff game and continued to showcase his elite talents, throwing for 3,852 yards with 26 touchdowns in the regular season.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Watson’s representation can negotiate an extension for the first time this offseason. The counterpart in these talks? Bill O’Brien. The same O’Brien who traded DeAndre Hopkins for pennies on the dollar. The same O’Brien who bungled the Jadeveon Clowney situation so badly, Houston only got a third-round pick in reutrn. The examples are myriad.
Again, expecting Watson to cash in to the same degree Mahomes did is unrealistic. Mahomes has an NFL MVP award, a Super Bowl MVP and a championship under his belt. In 2018, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. He’s a video game on rookie level against toddlers. It’s comical.
Still, Watson is a damn good player at the same age, and at the same juncture of his contract. He could conceivably plush for $37-38 million per year with more than 60 percent of the deal guaranteed, and he’d have a great argument.
Before Mahomes signed on the dotted line Monday, the highest-paid quarterback in annual salary was Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks at $35 million per year. The highest total guarantees were Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams at $110 million.
With Mahomes blowing those numbers out of the proverbial water, look for Watson to know easily eclipse those as well.