Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Patrick Mahomes is a bigger bargain than Ryan Tannehill.
The numbers on the contract extension Patrick Mahomes got from the Kansas City Chiefs are staggering. The new 10-year deal makes it a 12-year commitment in total, worth just over $500 million at the fully fleshed out potential.
The Chiefs had Mahomes under control for two more years, so he is getting $45 million per year in new money on a 10-year, $450 million extension. He was already due $27.63 million over the next two years, which extends into a window of the free agent deals other quarterbacks got this offseason.
Ryan Tannehill had the best year of his career with the Tennessee Titans last year, ahead of hitting free agency. Then, instead of especially pursuing anyone else (Tom Brady, Philip Rivers), the Titans re-signed him to a four-year, $118 million contract ($62 million guaranteed).
After fleshing out the early known details of Mahomes’ contract, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offered a couple of interesting tidbits.
Over the next three and four years, the full span of his contract in the latter case, Tannehill is slated to make more in raw dollars than Mahomes. Of course Mahomes, for better or worse as the salary cap rises and the quarterback market encroaches on him, will have a lot of time and money left on his deal at that point. Tannehill might be looking for a job.
The idea Tannehill will see all $118 million of his contract is foolish and unlikely, especially if he doesn’t play nearly as well as he did in 2019. But the broader point still stands. The Titans ponied up to pay Tannehill coming off a career year, rooted in the name of continuity with fingers crossed he’ll keep playing at a high level. The Chiefs, on the other hand, have made a long-term investment in Mahomes, who could become the best quarterback the NFL has ever seen.