Patrick Mahomes says his focus has always been on winning and that’s not going to change.
The news dropped on Monday. Patrick Mahomes made himself available on Tuesday.
The Kansas City Chiefs signed their superstar quarterback to a record-setting 10-year contract on Monday worth up to over $500 million, a record for an American sports contract. Mahomes is now officially signed through the 2031 season and the expectations for the man who has already won a Super Bowl and an MVP award has never been greater.
Mahomes spoke with reporters on Tuesday to answer questions about the staggering nature of the deal and how this will affect his approach going forward. As he answered questions, it was easy to see the demeanor and leadership traits that were praised by general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid when the contract was first announced.
When Mahomes was asked about the potential for more pressure due to the sheer size and amount of the contract, the quarterback pushed back with exactly the sort of line that the team would want to hear:
"“I don’t think it raises the pressure, honestly. To me, the money never was the main objective. To me it’s all about going out there, winning football games, and winning with your teammates and your brothers and the culture you’ve been a part of. That’s what it was always about.“Last year, I felt like I had just as much pressure on myself to go out there and win after falling short in the AFC Championship the year before. I feel like going this next season, I’ll have the same amount of pressure of going out there and showing that it wasn’t a fluke, to find a way to win back to back, which is so hard to do in the NFL.”"
The contract for Mahomes is lighter in the first few years in terms of cap hit, which should allow the Chiefs to continue to have cap space and maneuverability to build a competitive roster around their franchise face. Mahomes says that was a key component of the deal for him, as his desire to win is reflected in the finances.
"“Obviously I wanted the security to take care of my family and future generations of family, but I also wanted to keep really good players around me. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say that having all a great football team doesn’t help me when I’m on the field. I wanted to find the best way I could do that.”"
Mahomes, who is only 24-years-old, can now focus on nothing but improving as a player as the financial aspect of his career has been taken care of for the foreseeable future and beyond. Mahomes got his money but to hear the quarterback tell it, that was never the main thing. The goal for Mahomes is to keep winning year after year. Given his record of 24-7 with two deep postseason runs in his only two seasons as a starter, the Chiefs are in good hands.