LNBS: Quarterback salary as a percentage of the cap

[RealSNR]

I can already see people going, "Why isn't this in the Mahomes thread?" or "Why start a thread about this when we're not even allowed to negotiate for a Mahomes extension?" Because it's the offseason, dipshits. And the Russell Wilson thread got me thinking.

Also, sorry if this comes as general knowledge to a lot of fans. It wasn't general knowledge to me, so... well, here it is anyway.

I was wondering what the highest percentage of the salary cap the starting QB earned when he won a Super Bowl. And that led me to this blog on a Packers site written prior to Rodgers' most recent extension. Apparently the mark is 13.1%, set by Steve Young in 1994.

https://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/the-nf...is-it-true-515

So then I wondered: Since the QB salary percentage has exploded in recent years, what the likelihood of us seeing that mark continually reset as more and more new QBs start getting paid ginormous contracts?

Check out the tables on that blog for some of the salary information going back to when the salary cap was first established. I don't really want to comment or spoon feed that data in this thread. It's a super short read, so I recommend checking it out. However, I will repost this little nugget:

Several times a team at least appeared in the super bowl despite paying a player in excess of the bugaboo amount. In 2016, Atlanta with Ryan at quarterback got to the big game despite paying Ryan 15.44 percent of the cap. Absent the furious comeback staged by NE, the 13.1 percent bugaboo would already have been broken.

In 2015, Carolina paid Charles Johnson, a DE, 13.78 percent of the cap. In 2013, Denver paid Manning 13.15 percent, which beats Young’s record. In 2009, Indianapolis got to the super bowl despite paying Peyton Manning a staggering 17.2 percent of the cap. There may be other players who at least appeared in a super bowl while earning more than 13.1 percent of the cap who I did not run across due to limitations in the various databases.

Mahomes is going to get paid. He's just going to. Maybe the NFL will wisen up and teams will stop paying shitty game manager QBs like Flacco, Tannehill, Dalton, Eli Manning, and Garrapolo all of these record-setting contracts based on AAV. But if a QB truly is top of the league, he's going to get and deserve that money. The question is can the team win with that much cap space devoted to one player.

Well, it's going to be more difficult. Way more difficult. But the good news is seeing what Peyton did in the league with his high salary cap percentages. He cracked 13.1% 8 times in his career, and while none of those 8 seasons won him a Super Bowl, he still did kept the Colts/Donks always in the picture. And that was also with a franchise that couldn't seem to draft good defense to save its life (or at least had a GM that didn't make it a very strong focus).

Mahomes is the kind of player who can set the league on fire like Manning did in his prime. Perhaps more than Peyton. And while we have yet to see any real success in adding cheap defensive playmakers during the brief Veach regime, you can at least tell that he's got a plan, and he and Reid aren't afraid to make big decisions instead of staying the course in spite of all the mediocrity.

Plus... (and **** you to Jared Goff, because nobody gives a shit about him) Mahomes is just different. We have that going for us. You weren't supposed to draft air raid/Hal Mumme spread QBs, especially not in the 1st round. No team was supposed to do that. Mahomes was the first real QB to get people to re-think how the NFL should do offense and work with young passers coming out of college. Granted, none of them are going to be Mahomes (we definitely got the best one) but teams are going to start seeing more success from dipping into that well of college QBs. He's been a trendsetter and a record breaker before. And if there's any guy who's going to beat 13.1%, I'm putting that money on Pat.

[prhom]

I don’t think it would happen because I think it limits the amount of cap planning a GM can do. It seems more advantageous to be able to load up QB salary in down years for other positions so that when you need to give another star a big payday you can do that. It doesn’t mean Mahomes won’t get the money anyway, it’s just not a constant reduction in the cap space. Mahomes seems like he understands that it’s a team sport so well that he would want to make sure the team around him was not being hampered by his contract. I’m not saying take less than what he deserves, but he’s going to make so much endorsement money that I would just be really surprised if he pitched a fit over the contract.

I don’t see the same attitude as Peyton Manning in him so far. Manning said he wanted to win, but he was also very much about personal accolades. I honestly think Mahomes would rather go down as the QB to win the most SBs than to be the richest or have all the passing records. He may get the last two regardless.

[wazu]

Veach should show Mahomes this thread, and offer him 13.0% of salary cap for next 10 years, whatever it is. Rings and money. He can have it all.

[m00k n00b]

Originally Posted by prhom

I don’t think it would happen because I think it limits the amount of cap planning a GM can do. It seems more advantageous to be able to load up QB salary in down years for other positions so that when you need to give another star a big payday you can do that. It doesn’t mean Mahomes won’t get the money anyway, it’s just not a constant reduction in the cap space. Mahomes seems like he understands that it’s a team sport so well that he would want to make sure the team around him was not being hampered by his contract. I’m not saying take less than what he deserves, but he’s going to make so much endorsement money that I would just be really surprised if he pitched a fit over the contract.

I don’t see the same attitude as Peyton Manning in him so far. Manning said he wanted to win, but he was also very much about personal accolades. I honestly think Mahomes would rather go down as the QB to win the most SBs than to be the richest or have all the passing records. He may get the last two regardless.

What makes you think that about Peyton Manning?

Here's a newsflash -- Peyton Manning doesn't have any lifetime contracts with Indy or Denver. But he's a BAD guy for taking money as the best QB in the game for a decade. Riiiiiight.

In 10 years, when Tom Brady is still collecting ambassador checks from New England -- let's revisit this notion of, "TOM BRADY! SUPER TEAM PLAYER!"

Such a sham.

[Indian Chief]

Originally Posted by wazu

Veach should show Mahomes this thread, and offer him 13.0% of salary cap for next 10 years, whatever it is. Rings and money. He can have it all.

Based on this year's cap, it looks to be about $24.4M.

[MAHOMO 4 LIFE!]

10 year 400 million dollar contract. 200 mil guaranteed. 150 signing bonus

[DRM08]

Originally Posted by wazu

Veach should show Mahomes this thread, and offer him 13.0% of salary cap for next 10 years, whatever it is. Rings and money. He can have it all.

Would probably have to be fully guaranteed (or at least 85-90%) to make up for the massive discount he would be giving them.

[MAHOMO 4 LIFE!]

Originally Posted by DRM08

Would probably have to be fully guaranteed (or at least 85-90%) to make up for the massive discount he would be giving them.

Should give him a huge signing bonus so it doesn’t affect the cap

[cooper barrett]

Just trade him off like Glass did all of the Royal's talent. Didn't they win a World Series then play in another afterwards?

What could you get for Mahomes?

I'm joking but $24M isn't going to happen. It's just my humble opinion.....

[MAHOMO 4 LIFE!]

Originally Posted by cooper barrett

Just trade him off like Glass did all of the Royal's talent. Didn't they win a World Series then play in another afterwards?

What could you get for Mahomes?

I'm joking but $24M isn't going to happen. It's just my humble opinion.....

24 mil uh what?? His number will be 40 mil

[Skyy God]

I’d see if he’d take a deal where his salary is always 15% of the cap.

[FringeNC]

The whole QB taking up salary cap is overblown. Just sign fewer defensive players to second contracts, which rarely works out anyway, and that's more than enough to pay Mahomes. Just think how much money we have paid D players lately that have had questionable levels of productivity. The Pats don't do that.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Indian Chief

Based on this year's cap, it looks to be about $24.4M.

Thats just not enough in today's market. The QB position is increasing in importance every year. Its natural that the % of the cap would increase. And if you are the best QB in the NFL that % goes up more.

I've said that the Mahomes contract could be the first one tied to the cap %. Mahomes knows that 5-6 years from now he's not being underpaid. The Chiefs know every year that this % is taken up by the MVP.

Of course there will have to be guaranteed money. In the signing you give him $50 million or so. If he blows out a knee, dies in a plane accident, gets eaten by a gator or for whatever reason he is no longer a football player, more guaranteed money is paid to him or his family/

Just get creative but not to make a deal beneficial to the Chiefs but to make the deal beneficial for both parties.

[m00k n00b]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I've said that the Mahomes contract could be the first one tied to the cap %.

Well --

If you've said it, then by golly, I could see it happening!

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Yay! More wringing of hands!