Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, fresh off the franchise's first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, just agreed to a massive 10-year, $450-million contract extension, ESPN reports. It's a historic deal, but it's not the first time a quarterback has inked a decade-plus extension.
On its face, that list doesn't look reassuring for Chiefs fans. McNabb had some great years for Philadelphia and helped them win the NFC Championship during the 2004-5 season, but he was ultimately traded well before his contract finished after battling injuries. Bledsoe famously got hurt in the second week of the season after signing his then-record deal, was replaced by a kid named Tom Brady, and was then traded to the Buffalo Bills the next year. Vick's deal also didn't pan out — after some electrifying seasons, he was suspended indefinitely and spent 21 months in prison for his involvement in a dog fighting ring. Favre is an NFL legend and continued to put up big numbers for Green Bay after his extension, though he earned his deal after an already-lengthy career.
However, with the possible exception of Favre, none of the quarterbacks were considered to be at Mahomes' level. Many believe the 24-year-old has the chance to be one of the best signal-callers ever despite playing only two seasons as a starter.
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Several other Hall-of-Fame-worthy quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Brady (until recently) also stayed with one team for well over a decade and continued to produce while getting paid handsomely. The only difference is they signed multiple shorter contracts, rather than one long one like Mahomes. There's no reason Chiefs fans shouldn't be celebrating.
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