While the Kansas City Chiefs have often watched Patrick Mahomes beat Lamar Jackson on the field, this offseason added a bit of a wrinkle to the matchup. With Baltimore soon facing an extension decision with Jackson, Mahomes once again beat his rival to the punch, earning a new deal that made him the first to earn half a billion dollars in one extension. The annual value of the deal comes in at roughly $64 million per season, setting a new standard and leaving no question that Lamar's team will seek to beat this number.
How contracts work in the NFL, Jackson being a tier below Mahomes, has little impact on negotiations. Any comparable player given an extension is noted from the next in line, with the expectation being that the deal will need to be surpassed for the two sides to agree. This hands the Ravens a difficult decision and sets the Chiefs up to continue to dominate a team that always seems to come up short when January rolls around.
For Mahomes, the difference is an ability to elevate whatever talent the Chiefs put around him, not needing an incredible cast to get elite results. It's been difficult to say the same about Jackson, who has proven to be a great regular-season quarterback, but needs everything to fall his way when the games matter most.
Patrick Mahomes picks up another win over Lamar Jackson with offseason extension
Baltimore being forced to surpass this deal for Jackson is going to make it very difficult to build a roster that has a prayer of contending with the dynastic Chiefs. It should also be noted here that Jackson is unlikely to age as well as Mahomes, based on the importance of his elite speed and ability to run the football, a skill set that has historically diminished quickly as QBs age.
While there are always outliers, it is rare to see a rushing quarterback age well, with Cam Newton and Russell Wilson serving as the most recent examples. The punishment takes a toll, and Jackson unquestionably has taken his share of hits over the years.
All of this adds up to giving the Chiefs a clear advantage over a wishful rival based on getting ahead of the curve and locking up their star quarterback. As expensive as the deal might seem, it will only reset the market for a time, with deals inevitably surpassing KC's newest extension.
Jackson's next deal can likely be counted among them, with the Chiefs paving a clear path of frustration for a Baltimore team that already has a long list of recent playoff failures.
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