Super Bowl LVII is in the books, and it lived up to every bit of the hype. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles entered the game with a lot of similarities. They were both 16-3 (counting the playoffs), both No. 1 seeds in their conferences, and even had scored the same number of points.
The game was also notable for several other reasons, including a relatively light holding call in the final minutes and a playing field that resulted in about a dozen slips.
There will be countless debates as we head into the offseason, but two things are clear. Rihanna is still a fantastic live performer — delivering a halftime show nine months after giving birth and while pregnant with her second child — and regular season and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is on track to be the wealthiest NFL quarterback ever.
Massive 2020 Contract
In 2020, Mahomes, fresh off his first Super Bowl win, signed a 10-year contract extension with the Chiefs. The deal was first reported to be worth $450 million, but including various bonuses, it’s actually worth $503 million.
By comparison, the recently retired (for real this time) Tom Brady entered the league in 2002 and made just under $333 million. Mahomes will make significantly more than that during this contract alone.
It’s certainly proven lucrative. Since signing the deal, Mahomes has reached two Super Bowls, winning one. The Chiefs have won the AFC West every season, and the only time they didn’t reach the Super Bowl since this extension was during the 2021 season when they fell in overtime to the Cincinnati Bengals during the AFC Championship.
Endorsement Deals
Mahomes also makes a ton of money off the field. Shortly after signing his record-setting deal, he bought a stake in the Kansas City Royals, giving him another avenue for lucrative earnings.
You’ve certainly seen the Chiefs quarterback appearing in State Farm commercials. He also has sponsorships with Adidas, Hy-Vee, Hunt’s Ketchup, Oakley, Bose, Subway, Coors Light, and several other companies.
In total, Mahomes makes about $7 million annually in sponsorship and endorsement deals. That gives him about $50 million every year. And he still has seven more years to go on this contract.
What About Jalen?
As for Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts? He’s currently the biggest bargain in the NFL. As a second-round pick, he signed a four-year, $6,025,171 deal. He made $1,157,144 in total cash in 2022, placing him at 61st on the list of highest-paid quarterbacks.
Hurts will make $4,403,000 next season, the last of his rookie deal. Assuming he stays healthy and continues playing at a high level, he’ll command a massive contract extension. Of course, that larger salary will come at the expense of Hurts’s supporting cast since the Eagles won’t be able to pay Hurts and keep as many other players.
That’s a challenge the Eagles will have to keep in mind. For now, they’ll lament what might have been in the Super Bowl. Even so, they should still celebrate a very successful season. After all, it’s tough to make it to the NFL’s biggest stage.
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