"I joked that if Mahomes starts robbing banks, everybody in Kansas City would be like 'okay, that's fine, what's wrong with that?' He can't do any wrong"
Thursday 9 July 2020 06:42, UK
Patrick Mahomes' meteoric rise as the face of the NFL has put Kansas City on the map, says KSHB Sports Director Mick Shaffer.
Jaw-dropping talent on the field became worthy of jaw-dropping money off it this week as the Chiefs maestro signed the biggest contract in sports history.
An unflinching show of faith from both parties comes after Mahomes led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl crown in 50 years in February, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers.
It capped an incredible route to Miami in which Mahomes helped the Chiefs come back from 24-0 against the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round, before also coming from 10 points down against the Tennessee Titans.
"We're in Kansas City, we're modest for a reason here, not a lot of greatness happens in sports and we're kind of humble in that way," 41 Action News' Shaffer told Sky Sports News. "So this is very new to us to have a guy making that kind of money. Everybody here is trying to wrap their heads around it still.
"I think he is the face of the NFL. If it wasn't for LeBron (James) he might be the face of American sports these days.
"More than anything he's one of these guys that can really put a city on a map. Nobody cared about Indianapolis before Peyton Manning got there, nobody really cared about Cleveland sports wise before LeBron got there and then they did.
"Mahomes is that type of guy. He's putting Kansas City on the sports map and it's really cool to be involved and be around it while it's happening."
Besides being appreciated for his talent on the field, Mahomes is universally respected away from it as both a humble and charitable professional.
For many in Chiefs Kingdom, their face of the franchise would have been deserving of even more than the half-a-billion he could bring in over the next 12 years.
"(The feeling among fans was) That the Chiefs got a steal of a deal basically," Shaffer added. "Everybody has been like 'they should have paid more!' Because he really is a guy that you could make great arguments for him to get $50m-a-year or even more than that.
"Mahomes if you know him, he's not just all talk. He's still kind of the same small town Texas guy that hasn't changed. Obviously now his guard is going to have to be up a little bit more, that comes with the territory of being the Super Bowl MVP and having that type of contract.
"I just got off a one-on-one zoom with him, he's playing in a golf tournament this weekend out in Lake Tahoe, we spoke about that, he loves Whataburger which is a big fast food chain coming here, he's still so down to earth and everybody here loves him."
In a Chiefs press conference on Tuesday, Mahomes cited his desire to not only gain job security through his bumper deal, but ensure his teammates continue to be 'rewarded'.
While Mahomes' agents Leigh Steinberg and Chris Cabott played a significant role in negotiations, the 24-year-old himself was also heavily involved in seeking flexibility that would allow the team to sign players.
"He can do no wrong," said Shaffer. "I joked that if Mahomes starts robbing banks, everybody in Kansas City would be like 'okay, that's fine, what's wrong with that?' He can't do any wrong.
"It's not only a huge sports figure but a huge sports fan. He supports all the other sports in the town, so everybody is thrilled for Patrick and thrilled for the promise and future of this franchise, one that's gone through a few decades of no success at all."
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