The Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one of the most popular figures in the NFL, and he’s widely considered to be one of the best players in the league. That’s why many will be interested to find out just how much Mahomes is paid per football game.
Mahomes’ Salary
Sporting News reported that back in 2020, Mahomes became the highest paid player in NFL history. He signed a 10-year, $450 million contract. This contract has him making an average of $45 million per season, and gives him a cap hit of no less than $41.95 million in each season through 2031.
Mahomes will reportedly earn a base salary of $8,600,000, a roster bonus of $34,900,000, and a workout bonus of $1,000,000. He will also have a cap hit of $57,358,269 and a dead cap value of $114,146,314.
During the 2023 season, Mahomes earned a base salary of $1,325,556 and played in 17 games, giving him an average of $77,974 per game, according to Profootball Network. This may seem low for a quarterback, but it’s important to remember that Mahomes was also paid a $22.4 million roster bonus and got a $20.574 million signing bonus on top of that. That gives him a total earnings of over $40 million in 2023.
Here’s a breakdown of Mahomes’ salary, courtesy of Spotrac.com:
| Year | Base salary | Total bonuses | Cap hit |
| 2022 | $1,500,000 | $34,293,381 | $35,793,381 |
| 2023 | $5,500,000 | $41,293,381 | $46,793,381 |
| 2024 | $2,500,000 | $41,793,381 | $44,293,381 |
| 2025 | $2,500,000 | $43,793,381 | $46,293,381 |
| 2026 | $2,500,000 | $39,450,000 | $41,950,000 |
| 2027 | $10,000,000 | $49,950,000 | $59,950,000 |
| 2028 | $13,000,000 | $31,450,000 | $44,450,000 |
| 2029 | $20,500,000 | $24,450,000 | $44,950,000 |
| 2030 | $27,000,000 | $23,450,000 | $50,450,000 |
| 2031 | $38,000,000 | $14,450,000 | $52,450,000 |
Related: After Winning Super Bowl, Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes Gives ‘God The Glory’
Mahomes Talks Expectations
At the start of the 2023 season, Mahomes opened up about the expectations on himself and his team.
“I think when you’ve had so much success, people are kind of waiting for you to go down. We know that as a team, and I’ll just say it’s one loss, but you don’t want them to compound, so you go out there and get better on the football field, and all of that stuff kind of goes away,” Mahomes said while appearing on “The Drive on Audacy’s 610 Sports Radio.”
“Be who we are,” he added. “If we are who we are, and play hard and do what we do, then we’ll have a chance to show everybody who the Chiefs are. And I think that’s been the biggest message for everybody: ‘Let’s get back to what we do, and continue to work hard at it.'”
‘Secret’ To Mahomes’ Running Success
Back in February, Mahomes revealed that his “secret” to his running success is that most of his opponents don’t understand his running style.
“I think I’ve gotten better, (using) the right form, and faster, as I’ve been in the NFL,” Mahomes told CBS News. “But it doesn’t look the prettiest, so I think people think I’m slow. I think it’s kinda deceptive. Sometimes I think the defense takes bad angles because they think they’re gonna catch me faster than they do. So maybe that’s the secret to my speed is that I run not the way everybody else runs.”
Given how talented he is, it’s no wonder that Mahomes is making so much money playing in the NFL. It will certainly be interesting to see how this NFL season goes for him and his team later this year!