Rookie QB contract window.

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Will someone please explain to me how the Chiefs are one win from a “threepeat” with a QB on a 450 million dollar contract? How does this sorcery work?

Should the Chiefs trade him next year to open a new window?

Thanks!

 

[Canth]

Will someone please explain to me how the Chiefs are one win from a “threepeat” with a QB on a 450 million dollar contract? How does this sorcery work?

Should the Chiefs trade him next year to open a new window?

Thanks!

Because through this year, Mahomes's cap number remains under $40M. It's next year when there is the really big jump in a cap number that will start to pinch their options more. It goes from $37M to $66M.

Basically, Mahomes did a relatively team friendly deal - actually similar to Brady and what he did with the Patriots that has allowed the team to build around him better.

Patrick Mahomes Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

Patrick Mahomes contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Because through this year, Mahomes's cap number remains under $40M. It's next year when there is the really big jump in a cap number that will start to pinch their options more. It goes from $37M to $66M.

Basically, Mahomes did a relatively team friendly deal - actually similar to Brady and what he did with the Patriots that has allowed the team to build around him better.

Patrick Mahomes Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

Patrick Mahomes contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

I’m being sarcastic. His deal will probably be re-worked every year now. Just keep kicking the can down the road and eat it years from now

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Because through this year, Mahomes's cap number remains under $40M. It's next year when there is the really big jump in a cap number that will start to pinch their options more. It goes from $37M to $66M.

Basically, Mahomes did a relatively team friendly deal - actually similar to Brady and what he did with the Patriots that has allowed the team to build around him better.

Patrick Mahomes Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

Patrick Mahomes contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

Not to mention a 10 year contract gave a ton of maneuverability with moving money around.

 

[Canth]

I’m being sarcastic. His deal will probably be re-worked every year now. Just keep kicking the can down the road and eat it years from now

I figured.

Although, looking at this info from Sportrac, what the hell was Dallas doing with that Dak contract? ~$90M cap hit already next year? And Cleveland has been regretting everything about that Deshaun Watson deal ever since they made it.

2025 NFL Quarterback Positional Spending

A real-time look at the 2025 positional spending per NFL team.

www.spotrac.com

 

[ijustposthere]

Will someone please explain to me how the Chiefs are one win from a “threepeat” with a QB on a 450 million dollar contract? How does this sorcery work?

Should the Chiefs trade him next year to open a new window?

Thanks!

Because if an owner is ok with paying real cash, they can consistently get around the cap. Cap is just put in place to make plebs think billionaires can't spend money.

 

[baredown]

In the NFL, cap management is an accounting issue, not a roster management issue...

 

[DanielCCSBears]

Will someone please explain to me how the Chiefs are one win from a “threepeat” with a QB on a 450 million dollar contract? How does this sorcery work?

Should the Chiefs trade him next year to open a new window?

Thanks!

It works if you have one of if not the greatest QB of all time. If the Chiefs win again there may not be a point to playing the the games until Pat retires.

 

[remydat]

Will someone please explain to me how the Chiefs are one win from a “threepeat” with a QB on a 450 million dollar contract? How does this sorcery work?

Should the Chiefs trade him next year to open a new window?

Thanks!

Because Mahomes is the GOAT and thus worth his contract. The issue is most QBs getting 40+ million are likely not worth it.

 

[DefNextYear]

One could argue other teams like the Bills and Ravens can’t beat Mahomes cause the cap hit from the QB. Reid and Mahomes are a pairing of the two best ever to do it. To beat them, you need a lot of talent to tip the scales. If a lot of cap is burned at QB, it becomes that much harder to beat them.

So, unless you have arguably the best QB ever paired with the one of the best coaches ever, good to have a QB on a rookie contract. It is a bit too simplistic though. You can have a high paid QB if the rest of the position guys are homeruns. Eagles are an example.

 

[PrimeTime]

You can only play this cap game with elite level players that you know will the leader of your franchise for the next 6 to 8 years. They can redo Pat's contract this offseason and push money out 4 years from now when the cap will be a lot higher. The good new is, 3 years from now when Caleb is league MVP the Bears can play the same game. Caleb's contract really won't have a lot of affect on the Bears ability to sign their own or FA's for at least 5 more years. KC is basically using what they believe to be the increase in future cap now. You first have to have a player capable of doing this type of contract with.

 

[cwcwcwcw1]

One could argue other teams like the Bills and Ravens can’t beat Mahomes cause the cap hit from the QB. Reid and Mahomes are a pairing of the two best ever to do it. To beat them, you need a lot of talent to tip the scales. If a lot of cap is burned at QB, it becomes that much harder to beat them.

So, unless you have arguably the best QB ever paired with the one of the best coaches ever, good to have a QB on a rookie contract. It is a bit too simplistic though. You can have a high paid QB if the rest of the position guys are homeruns. Eagles are an example.

I understand the overall point your trying to make, but your examples are not what you think they are.

Through this year if you look at the % of cap the QB's weren't the problem for the teams you mentioned. Granted this off season the Chiefs should redo Mahomes contract. For Allen and Jackson maybe this off season but definitely before the 2026 season. For Hurts he was 5.2% last year and is 7.8% next year.

 

[DefNextYear]

I understand the overall point your trying to make, but your examples are not what you think they are.

Through this year if you look at the % of cap the QB's weren't the problem for the teams you mentioned. Granted this off season the Chiefs should redo Mahomes contract. For Allen and Jackson maybe this off season but definitely before the 2026 season. For Hurts he was 5.2% last year and is 7.8% next year.

I get it. Their cap hits aren’t massive yet, but it’s not rookie contract numbers either. If they were on rookie contracts, their teams would have maybe like 20 million extra to spend. And as the years go, they’ll keep having to lose decent players. Obviously they save the best guys, but the Ravens starting LT is hitting the market for a reason. Hurts hasn’t really kicked in though. You’re right about that. But even when he does, that team is probably the most talented in the NFL.

 

[cwcwcwcw1]

I get it. Their cap hits aren’t massive yet, but it’s not rookie contract numbers either. If they were on rookie contracts, their teams would have maybe like 20 million extra to spend. And as the years go, they’ll keep having to lose decent players. Obviously they save the best guys, but the Ravens starting LT is hitting the market for a reason. Hurts hasn’t really kicked in though. You’re right about that. But even when he does, that team is probably the most talented in the NFL.

I think the more important thing is to not waste money on lower value positions or make obviously poor decisions on the higher valuable positions. Both the Bills and Ravens made these kind of mistakes that were clearly mistakes when they made them.

 

[DefNextYear]

I think the more important thing is to not waste money on lower value positions or make obviously poor decisions on the higher valuable positions. Both the Bills and Ravens made these kind of mistakes that were clearly mistakes when they made them.

But then you’re asking for perfect execution of everything to win. That’s a lot to ask. But that’s the small margin for error when one guy is moving his way towards 20% of your cap.

 

[cwcwcwcw1]

But then you’re asking for perfect execution of everything to win. That’s a lot to ask. But that’s the small margin for error when one guy is moving his way towards 20% of your cap.

No, all I'm saying is don't shoot yourself in the foot.
Don't trade a second round pick for an inside linebacker and pay him $100 million.
That was a valuable pick and ILB's aren't worth the $$$.
Also no need to go to 20% on the QB when they start to approach 12-15% just restructure that contract.

When you do make a big $$$ long term FA signing at a valuable position like Edge rusher ( aka Bills & Von Miller ) don't spend it on an old and in decline player.

If you run your cap right and don't knowingly waste resources then the high salary QB really only takes one player away.

 

[--CyBear--]

I’m being sarcastic. His deal will probably be re-worked every year now. Just keep kicking the can down the road and eat it years from now

Don't be. He had the 4th highest cap # amongst QBs this year.

 

[HearshotKDS]

The long and short of it is KC manages their cap really well. We have seen them lose good players due to effectively cap concerns (Hill, Sneed, etc.) but they have done a good job of identifying who is a key part of to either team and who is a really skilled luxury.

They only have 6 players making over $10m a year - the goat QB, a HoF TE, a HoF DT, and then 3 OL. They’ve drafted well on skill positions although I suspect they may still be looking for another high level weapon for Mahomes once Kelce retires.

And then there’s the fact that the NFL allows owners who are able/willing to raise the capital right now to almost indefinitely borrow cap from the future to pay players today - although KC isn’t one of the worst offenders of that (looking at you Saints).

 

[DefNextYear]

No, all I'm saying is don't shoot yourself in the foot.
Don't trade a second round pick for an inside linebacker and pay him $100 million.
That was a valuable pick and ILB's aren't worth the $$$.
Also no need to go to 20% on the QB when they start to approach 12-15% just restructure that contract.

When you do make a big $$$ long term FA signing at a valuable position like Edge rusher ( aka Bills & Von Miller ) don't spend it on an old and in decline player.

If you run your cap right and don't knowingly waste resources then the high salary QB really only takes one player away.

Well, if they’re trying to compete now, you have to take the risks to get guys who will contribute now. Otherwise, you’re sitting on cap space and not maximizing performance on the field. You say it’s shooting yourself in the foot, but would they really be a considerably better team without those moves? We don’t know that. We know they would’ve been worse in the short term though. And, by this logic, the teams could just have restructured those contracts anyway. Miller probably can just be cut at this point if they really wanted.

The real issue is that KC has paired two historically good pieces together… and with an elite DC. They can let stars go and plug in new players. They rarely give record contracts cause they just replace them. But they have the luxury of those moves cause they have the two most coveted pieces in the game already and everyone else is trying to catch up.

I do think the rookie contract thing is a bit of a myth. You still need a perfect storm of good luck to assemble a team in that small window.