When the Kansas City Chiefs gave Patrick Mahomes the largest contract in NFL history, they set themselves up with a franchise quarterback for the next decade. While the Chiefs have secured one of the most important positions in football, it is fair to wonder if they will be able to pay for the pieces around Mahomes. The Chiefs are built around a core of young players, and all of them will soon be looking for their big payday, and the Chiefs won’t be able to pay everyone.
Young Cornerstones
The Chiefs offense is built around a core group of players that have flourished playing with each other. The first player that comes to mind when thinking about who the Chiefs will have to pay is Tyreek Hill. The cheetah gives Mahomes an explosive and quick pass catching option that can blow the top of defenses. Hill also opens up the middle of the field for the rest of his teammates with his speed and deep threat ability. After a 850 yard season in which he saw his quarterback suffer minor injuries and sit out some of the season, we can expect to see more 1500 yard seasons such as the one he had in 2018. The Chiefs also have a young guard in Andrew Wylie, who will do his part in protecting Mahomes. While Wylie might not have as big of an impact as Hill, he still plays an integral part in the Chiefs success. On the other side of the field, the Chiefs have a young corner in Kendall Fuller who could develop into a lockdown corner. After losing Braushaud Breeland to free agency, the Chiefs will be asking more of Fuller. If he can take on this new responsibility and become a top corner, then the Chiefs will be forced to give him a new contract. The Chiefs also have a young pass rusher in Chris Jones who is looking for a new contract as the season begins. Even though he will be playing through with the franchise tag this year, it will be at the back of the Chiefs mind that they need to get a deal done with their star pass rusher.
Vetern Players
The Chiefs have a young core of players, but also have a group of veterans that are in their prime or a little bit past their prime. One of the biggest factors in the Chiefs offense is Travis Kelce, who is 30 years old and is still in his prime. With Kelce under contract until 2021the Chiefs should not feel any worry to extend him now, but the Chiefs will have to work some magic if they want to give Kelce the same contract that he is on now. The Chiefs added Tyrann Matheiu before the season started, and he is paying dividends to their playoff run. After playing the majority of his career in Arizona, it looks like Matheiu would like to spend the end of his career in Kansas City chasing titles. Matheiu is relatively young at 28 years old, and the Chiefs should try to keep someone like Mathieu, who’s leadership and intensity is invaluable to the team.
While the deal to keep Mahomes in Kansas City for 500 million dollars is the right move to make when dealing with franchise quarterbacks, one can only wonder what this mean for the rest of the team moving forward.
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- TheRinger/Rodger Sherman