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Mahomes: I worry more about winning Super Bowls than making money

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

In light of recent quarterback megadeals, Patrick Mahomes says he's more focused on collecting Lombardi Trophies than anything else.

"We try to do whatever is the best for the team, but obviously, I want to do the best for myself as well," Mahomes said Wednesday, courtesy of Ari Meirov. "At the same time, I've always said I worry about legacy and winning rings more than making money at this moment."

Mahomes signed a mammoth 10-year contract worth $450 million in 2020. However, his average annual value of $45 million per year currently ranks seventh among all signal-callers due to extensions handed out in the last three offseasons. Lamar Jackson recently set a new record with an extension that averages out to $52 million per year, while Jalen Hurts held the benchmark prior with an AAV of $51 million per year.

The Chiefs passer said he's aware of developments in the quarterback market but added that being the highest paid at the position isn't as important as finding a sweet spot that still allows for the team to build a competitive roster.

"You just want to not hurt other quarterbacks whenever their contracts come up. You want to keep the bar pushing," Mahomes explained. "It's not about being the highest-paid guy; it's not about making a ton of money. I've made enough money where I'll be set for the rest of my life."

He added: "You got to find that line where you're making a good amount of money, but you're still keeping a lot of good players around you so you can win these Super Bowls, and you're able to compete in these games."

The two-time Super Bowl winner and MVP pledged that he wouldn't sign a deal that would "hurt" the Chiefs from keeping great players around him.

Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards (5,250) and touchdowns (41) last season en route to his second Super Bowl victory.

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