The widely accepted assumption heading into the 2020 offseason is the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes will agree to a massive new contract that would reset the quarterback market in the coming months.
Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, however, pumped the brakes Tuesday ahead of Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers, noting that it's not a given Mahomes' new contract must come this offseason.
"There will be a right time sometime in the next 12 to 15 months to extend Patrick, and when I say right time, I mean right time for both the player and the club,'' Hunt said, via ESPN. "I don't want to say necessarily it has to be this offseason, but I will say that it's a priority to get him done.
"I hope Patrick is here for his entire career, and that's going to be our goal.''
After finishing his third season, 2020 marks the first time the first-round pick is eligible to sign an extension. Mahomes is under contract next year with a cap number of a shade over $5.2 million -- peanuts compared to his worth. The Chiefs would also exercise the fifth-year option for 2021 if a deal isn't struck.
While Hunt is correct that the Chiefs don't need to do a deal this offseason, it's still the most likely avenue to get Mahomes paid and for the franchise to lock down their MVP quarterback for the foreseeable future. As with all quarterback contracts, the cost could only go up the longer K.C. waits.
