Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones extensions
Entering the 2020 offseason, star defensive tackle Chris Jones’ contract situation loomed large. It was hard to imagine a circumstance in which the team could possibly employ not one, but two $20 million/year defensive linemen while the lingering question of when (not if) the team would extend quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It seemed great for fans, but looked questionable at best on paper. At one point the Chiefs had less cap space than a second stimulus check—with just $177 (that’s dollars, not millions) in cap room, the questions around what to do with Jones were plentiful.
And then the bomb dropped on Mahomes.
With the Jones scenario completely in flux while his franchise tag sat unsigned, Mahomes signed an earth-shattering 10-year contract extension worth over $500 million dollars. It is the largest contract in the history of professional team sports. This appeared to leverage the Chiefs out of long-term cap room for Jones, until it didn’t. A week after the Mahomes signing, Jones inked a 4-year deal worth $85 million.
We saw a lot of big words like “guarantee mechanisms,” but when the dust settled, the Chiefs retained both of their star players and the Run It Back Tour was full speed ahead. Chiefs fans got their dream scenario, Veach and his trusty calculator received the key to the city. All was calm, all was bright.