Patrick Mahomes' megabucks, 10-year deal is a reminder that American sports are flush with cash - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Two years ago, the Vikings signed Kirk Cousins to a three-year, $84 million contract that felt like an overreach, especially because it was fully guaranteed and became the largest contract in NFL history in terms of average annual value.

After Mahomes signed the largest contract in sports history, Cousins is ...

The measure of any large sports contract is not whether the owner can afford it, but whether it makes sense within the salary and payroll structure of that team and league.

The Chiefs succeeded in securing Mahomes, giving him a ridiculously high earning potential, and yet limiting the money he is guaranteed.

The stated value of the contract is $503 million over 10 years.

The fully guaranteed money is only $63 million, although it’s highly likely he’ll make much more in guarantees that kick in later — two years before some seasons — and would make $140M if he suffers a catastrophic injury.

That’s right — Mahomes has less fully-guaranteed money in his 10-year deal than Cousins did in his first three-year Vikings contract.

Mahomes is the best and most valuable player in the richest sports league in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

The story here is that even Mahomes couldn’t get a fully guaranteed contract like Mike Trout ($426.5 million), Bryce Harper ($330 million) or Giancarlo Stanton ($325 million), none of whom is as dominant.