In the summer of 2020, amid a mountain of uncertainty

 In the summer of 2020, amid a mountain of uncertainty

 spurred on by the pandemic, they put the finishing touches on the 10-year, $450 million accord that could reach a half billion in total value. The deal was criticized. Mahomes and Cabott were pummeled for taking it. But it was done with purpose, to allow the Chiefs to plan ahead and continue to put championship rosters around their star quarterback.

The deal was built with rolling guarantees and a series of penalties that would top $30 million at almost every juncture were the team to cut him, with cap ramifications to go along with that. And at the end of the rolling guarantees, in early 2027, there’s another nine-figure guarantee, meaning the team would pay a heavy, heavy price for getting rid of Mahomes, if they chose to, nearly a decade into the contract.

Essentially, if Mahomes was going to get stung, the Chiefs would, too, and, very deep into a longer deal, that gave both sides peace in the idea, again, that everyone was in it together.