In his recent actions, Patrick Mahomes once again highlights his exceptional leadership qualities. His latest contract negotiation reveals his genuine concern not just for his interests, but also for the well-being of his team and fellow players. His leadership becomes evident through his recent admission of dissatisfaction with the Kansas City Chiefs‘ sluggish start to the season and their underwhelming performance in the first two games.

Despite this disappointing start, Pat’s team managed to fulfill at least one of his dreams. In a historic move, Mahomes not only secured a groundbreaking deal but also played a role in preserving a substantial amount of cap space for his team. The contract speaks it all.

Why did Patrick Mahomes help save this huge amount?

According to reports, the 28-year-old quarterback could have secured a $218 million deal with the Chiefs, but he chose a $210.6 million contract to save $8 million for the team. With this extra cap space, Kansas City has now the potential to acquire two running backs or defensive linemen. This contract change moves a portion of the money from the final five seasons to the initial four, securing Patrick with a whopping $210.6 million during that time frame, setting a new record for the highest earnings over any four consecutive NFL seasons. Mahomes will earn $56.85 million, $44.5 million, $50 million, and $56.76 million for the four seasons respectively. And after 2026, Mahomes and the Chiefs will again discuss the contract as per the market value.

Mahomes earlier in 2020, signed a 10-year deal of $450 million, and he had still nine years left. Patrick explained his approach to negotiations, saying, “You have a lot of great players that I want to be here so we can win a lot of Super Bowls. I want to make a lot of money, but I also want to win. You look back at players, and you look back at how they won and the perception of how they did things, and that’s what I want to try to manage.” This statement surely addresses concerns from individuals like Shannon Sharpe, who considers him “underpaid.”

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However, Mahomes isn’t the first to employ this cap-saving technique; he must have taken inspiration from the legendary Tom Brady, who also saved significant cap space for the Buccaneers.

How much Tom Brady left for the Bucs?

During his tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom Brady made a strategic move by restructuring his contract with the team. This adjustment resulted in substantial salary cap savings for the Buccaneers, providing them with a $19 million relief in 2021. This financial maneuver enabled the team to retain crucial players for the upcoming season. Despite the restructured contract, Brady still earned an estimated $25 million that year.

The move created opportunities for numerous free agents. While Tampa Bay had secured Chris Godwin with the franchise tag, other key players like Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown, who were favorites of Brady, could have potentially left in free agency. Additionally, critical defensive players such as Shaquil Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, and Lavonte David were also facing unsigned statuses. But with Brady’s cap-saving strategy, the Buccaneers found some means to re-sign some of these valuable players.

Tom Brady’s status as the GOAT is well-deserved, as he also recently reaffirmed his legendary mindset: whenever he stepped onto the field, his sole purpose was to win, nothing less.

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