Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ contract unlikey to be surpassed, Chris Long leaving Twitter, and other sports news
Patrick Mahomes' numbers and accolades through three seasons put him in a rare territory that few other quarterbacks can equal.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes put the world in a frenzy when he signed the biggest contract in sports history. The deal made him the highest-paid quarterback in football, which usually means the market has been reset.
But not this time.
Mahomes’ situation is different. His accolades in three seasons aren’t normal. His 10-year, $450 million contract extension is more of a case of being a generational talent than the new barometer for the next rising quarterback.
In three NFL seasons, Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith in year one, won MVP in year two, and earned a Super Bowl in year three. It doesn’t get much better than that for an entire career, let alone the first two seasons as a starter.
However, the internet still couldn’t help itself. Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson questions started to linger. Watson was tagged in a GIF from teammate J.J. Watt, and he even responded to another post.
Mahomes’ deal was a 10-year extension. Drew Bledsoe with the Patriots in 2001, Donovan McNabb with the Eagles in 2002 and Michael Vick with the Falcons in 2004 are notable quarterbacks who have gotten extensions of double-digit years. Only Bledsoe wasn’t on his rookie contract, so if any future quarterback is to get an extension of Mahomes’ length, it’d likely be one playing for his second deal.
Watson and Prescott should be the next two Pro Bowl quarterbacks up. Prescott was a free agent this season, but he was franchise tagged by the Cowboys. Watson has two years left on his deal like Mahomes, and two Pro Bowl appearances, but he’s missing an MVP and Super Bowl trophy.
Lamar Jackson is entering his third season, and he may be the best bet. The Ravens are expected to compete near the top of the AFC again, and Jackson already has an MVP to his name. A Super Bowl in year three would put him right on par with Mahomes’ path to success and put him in line for a lengthy extension.
Mahomes’ deal pays him $45 million per season. Russell Wilson is the next closest at $35 million annually, and he has six Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring. That’s a $10 million annually gap from a future Hall of Famer who’s in his prime.
Watson and Prescott should aim to top or come close to Wilson’s value. Barring some superhero type season from the two, they’re unlikely to come anywhere near Mahomes’ contract.
Chris Long quits Twitter due to annoying users
Chris Long has fired off 11.8K tweets in his seven years on the site, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be reaching 12K.
Long said on his Instagram story that he’s “pretty much done” with Twitter and will use Instagram and his podcast more for his platform.
“I’ve really had enough. That website, I likened it last week to a drug with no bug,” Long said. “No redeeming quality, just a place for people to [expletive] at each other.”
Long said his decision is not related to politics. He estimated that about 95% of Twitter accounts annoy him.
In Oct. 2019, Long launched a podcast titled “Green Light with Chris Long”. Long uses the forum to bring on popular media, celebrities and athletes while discussing sports, politics, human rights issues, music and more.
“When I was a player, I didn’t have a podcast and have anything to get my voice out the way I wanted to get it out,” Long said. Twitter, although imperfect, was the vehicle and now I’m like ‘what the hell am I doing on that site?‘ ”
Wizards’ Bradley Beal not playing in Orlando
The Wizards were already in a tough position to make a run in Orlando. Their playoff chances just went from unlikely to nearly impossible after Bradley Beal announced he won’t be playing in Orlando due to a shoulder injury.
Beal became the first player in NBA history to not be named an All-Star after averaging 28 or more points. He’s currently second in the NBA behind James Harden, who averages 30.5 points.
It’s yet another blow for the Wizards. The once promising core of John Wall, Beal, Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre is long gone. Only Beal and Wall remain, and Wall hasn’t played since Dec. 2018 due to injury.
The Wizards are 5.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Magic, so making the playoffs was always a longshot. Three-point specialist and second-leading scorer Davis Bertans already opted out of the restarted season for Washington, so Beal might as well be the dagger.
If there’s any solace for Wizards fans, the next time the team takes the court, they should have Beal, a healthy Wall and Bertans.