Patrick Mahomes proved during Super Bowl 2023 exactly why he is annually one of the highest paid players in the entire league. In leading his Kansas City Chiefs to a second championship in the last four season, he was able to overcome a nagging ankle injury and overcome a double-digit halftime deficit in order to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in a classic contest. Mahomes was named MVP of the game, to go along with his regular season MVP and status as the league leader in passing yards for 2022.
And while his performance was impressive, Jalen Hurts played even better. The young Eagles quarterback threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown, and scored three rushing touchdowns to go along with 70 yards on the ground (a Super Bowl record for quarterbacks). The 24-year-old Hurts was a few plays away from being named Super Bowl MVP himself, if Philadelphia’s defense had been able to stave off Mahomes on the final drive.
Patrick Mahomes Earned 22x More Than Jalen Hurts In 2022
So while Mahomes and the Chiefs have the hardware and the victory under their belt, it may have been the younger of the two quarterbacks who got the best of the positional matchup during the Super Bowl.
Here’s a fun fact: Patrick Mahomes earned more than 22 times the money that Jalen Hurts did in 2022.
The value of Mahomes’ overall contract is nearly a half of a billion dollars, spread out over ten years. But he earned over $31 million this past season, with his cap hit coming in at nearly $36 million. His contract has the largest value of any in the league by a long shot, with Josh Allen’s 6-year, $258 million deal being nearly doubled by Mahomes.
On the other hand, Hurts is still playing on his rookie contract, and one that pays him like the second-round pick that he is. His contract is worth just over $6 million total, 75 times less than that of Mahomes, and has so far earned just $4 million in his three-year career.
Hurts Will Get Paid. Soon.
But things will change for Hurts, and soon. He had an MVP-candidate performance during the 2022 season, and capped it off with an impressive Super Bowl run and MVP-worthy stats in the big game. He will be entering the final year of his contract in 2023, and he’ll likely look to get a new deal done now while his value is at its peak.
Jalen Hurts has come a long way, from being benched in college and transferring schools, to being a second-round pick and the 5th QB taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, to fighting his way to becoming the starter for the Eagles. He will receive his payday, though the amount that Philadelphia is willing to pay him still has to be negotiated.
When he does receive a new contract, Hurts will be one of the highest paid players in the league, at least for the time being. And his contract will no longer be 75 times smaller than the guy he outplayed in the Super Bowl.
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