Russell Wilson extension shows why Patrick Mahomes deal is gold
Russell Wilson got a fair deal from the Denver Broncos, but it showcases why the Kansas City Chiefs have the best deal in football with Patrick Mahomes.
Every time a quarterback signs a new deal, general manager Brett Veach and the Kansas City Chiefs have to be beaming.
On Thursday, the Denver Broncos signed Russell Wilson to a five-year, $245 million deal with $165 million guaranteed. For Wilson, it means new money until he’s 40 years old, giving him an annual salary of $49 million throughout the extension.
And while the deal is fair based on the current market, it also showcases why Kansas City showed foresight after winning the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.
In the following offseason, Veach signed Patrick Mahomes to a 10-year, $450 million extension that runs until Mahomes is 36 years old. The contract was stunning, both in term and dollar amount, neither of which has been approached in the years since.
By the market, the Broncos and Russell Wilson came to a fair deal.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) September 1, 2022
However, every time a QB signs, it shows why the Chiefs have the best contract in football with Patrick Mahomes.
I explain why: https://t.co/oFGMzTklL9
Chiefs have the NFL’s best contract with Patrick Mahomes
However, because the term is so great, it allows the Chiefs to continuously move money around in a flexible fashion, giving them latitude to create cap space when needed.
For example, Wilson is making the aforementioned $49 million per year once his extension begins. Mahomes only exceeds that number once before the final two years of his deal, which almost certainly will look different at that juncture.
Meanwhile, Mahomes gets his fortune, and the Chiefs can continue to build around him with the hopes of adding more to his — and their — trophy case.