Tom Brady vs Patrick Mahomes’ Contract Restructure: How Much Cap Space Did The Patriots Clear?

Even though there is a long way to go for the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes to catch up with Tom Brady’s Super Bowl records, the quarterback follows the NFL GOAT’s footsteps. As far as helping respective programs with salary cap management, Brady often stands out.

Back when he was a part of the New England Patriots, the former quarterback was always considerate when restructuring his contracts. Now it is time for Mahomes, to leave a mark by being considerate as he draws inspiration from the cap space cleared by Patriots due to Brady’s initiative.  

Tom Brady’s strategic cap maneuver

Back in 2012, Brady’s base salary was supposed to be $5.75 million. However, the quarterback gave it a thought and restructured the contract bringing his base salary down to $950,000. The remaining $4.8 million was blended with $6 million which was separated as a bonus. The next year, Brady decided to continue his tenure and restructured his extension contract for three years. The deal that went through the 2017 season amounted to approximately $27 million. 

Despite being in the midst of a 10-year contract worth $450 million, Mahomes has been at the crossroads. Mahomes, similarly, has committed himself to the Kansas City Chiefs’ success by following Brady’s selfless approach and being considerate about salary negotiations. Carrying on Brady’s legacy of sacrifice, Mahomes is catering to an additional $21.6 million salary-cap space for the Chiefs. Throughout his tenure with the New England Patriots and later on with the Buccaneers, Brady prioritized team success over individual financial gain.

Mahomes imbibes the team-first mentality

With the new season knocking at the door, receiving help from Mahomes’ side, the City Chiefs have been able to convert $27 million. Now that they are relieved from the financial strain, they will be able to focus on two of their biggest needs- a veteran left tackle to protect Mahomes’ blind side and a veteran receiver. 

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Similarly, following an MVP season in 2010 and notable postseason successes that followed in the upcoming years, Brady’s restructured contract alleviated the Patriots’ financial burden. In the 2013 season, TB12’s restructured agreement saved the team a substantial $8 million in cap room. Surprisingly, in the next year too, that is 2014 season, the Patriots saved an additional $7 million.

During this season, Brady also restructured his 2012 salary, which was of a hefty amount, $5.75 million, and reduced it to $950,000. This opened up a cap space for the Patriots worth $7.2 million. Within the deal, Brady also made changes by assigning $24 million from a “skill” guarantee to only an “injury” guarantee. As a result of this, the New England Patriots could release him without any liability. 

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