Entrepreneur Left Speechless After Discovering Deshaun Watson’s Salary Beats Patrick Mahomes’

Patrick Mahomes ranked in at #18 overall on the list of highest-paid athletes of 2025 with the likes of Deshaun Watson and Juan Soto earning more than him.

Entrepreneur Left Speechless After Discovering Deshaun Watson’s Salary Beats Patrick Mahomes’

Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson (Images via IMAGO)

In July 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs gave Patrick Mahomes a contract extension similar to an MLB player. The quarterback inked a decade-long deal to keep him in Arrowhead Stadium with a contract with an upside potential of up to $503 million. Even if Mahomes were not to sign any endorsement deals or make any investments, the quarterback would retire with a corpus larger than most NFL players did.

At the time of his signing this deal, fans were skeptical, and so were analysts. However, this has turned out to be the best decision that the Chiefs made. Since signing his new deal, Mahomes has led the team to four Super Bowls and won two. Due to the terms and structure of his deal, the Chiefs can continue to make additions to their roster without having to make compromises.

This approach has yielded positive results. However, on a year-to-year basis, Patrick Mahomes is nowhere to be seen in the NFL’s list of highest-paid quarterbacks. 13 quarterbacks are paid more than he is, and the highest-paid QB, Dak Prescott, who makes $60 million per year, has never made it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

In fact, only Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts, who rank higher than Mahomes, have appeared in Super Bowls, and the latter is the only one to have won a ring. Two years after Mahomes’ deal came Deshaun Watson’s contract. The Cleveland Browns made a high-risk, high-reward bet on the then-Texans’ quarterback by paying him $230 million, fully guaranteed despite his future being uncertain.

So far, it has turned out to be the worst contract in NFL history. The increasing salaries for quarterbacks since Watson’s deal have not impacted the Chiefs. However, the pay discrepancy between Mahomes and Watson has one man fuming at the mouth. Sales guru and successful entrepreneur Shawn Meaike is infuriated that the quarterback is allowing himself to remain underpaid, in comparison to his peers.

Shawn Meaike suggested that Patrick Mahomes hire Juan Soto’s agent to re-negotiate his deal

His criticism stemmed from the fact that Mahomes has accomplished more than some of the athletes who continue to out-earn him. Meaike is referring to the Forbes list of the highest-paid athletes of 2025. The quarterback ranks 18th overall on the list.

Dak Prescott and Juan Soto
Dak Prescott and Juan Soto both make more than Patrick Mahomes does per year. (Image Credits: L-via IMAGO, R-via AP)

Meaike was aghast while discussing this with his co-host Cris Carter on the Fully Loaded podcast:

How low Patrick Mahomes is? It’s not just the contract. It’s the endorsement. You would think State Farm and Adidas would be bigger. Mahomes has been to five Super Bowls. He has won three. Who is his agent? You should get Juan Soto’s agent. He don’t even run and makes a lot more money than you. How about Deshaun Watson? How is that even possible?

It is not surprising to see him get angry over this. After all, Patrick Mahomes’ production has substantially increased the Chiefs’ revenue. During home games, Arrowhead Stadium is packed, and Mahomes’ jerseys remain the hottest-selling jerseys in the NFL. It doesn’t seem fair to the entrepreneur that the quarterback is putting in all the work for a fraction of the pie while the franchise gets the most of it.

The entrepreneur jokingly suggested that Mahomes consider changing his agent and hiring Juan Soto’s frontman. The New York Mets signed Soto earlier for a 15-year, $765 million deal, a deal that shook the entire sports world. Since signing the deal with the Mets, Soto has led them to the World Series but failed to lead them to a win.

Two of the quarterbacks in the NFL who earn more per year than Mahomes have not made it to the playoffs, and two have played in just one playoff game in their careers. Mahomes has been consistent since the day he started for the Chiefs, and a bad season for him is considered to be an average season for most quarterbacks.

Despite Meaike’s criticism, his taking less money is one of the factors that has earned him comparisons to Tom Brady. The man knows that he is worth more, but he prefers to settle because that improves the Chiefs’ cap situation, enabling them to sign the right talent, which ultimately results in Super Bowl wins. Patrick Mahomes loves to win more than he loves the money.

Besides, Forbes estimated his earnings from advertisements, investments, and sponsorship deals to be $28 million. Add his salary of $58.8 million, and that puts his annual earnings at $86.8 million. That is a considerable amount to live comfortably on! Mahomes likes his deal, and he is not losing sleep over his peers earning more than him.

Also Read: