One of the biggest draft picks of the past decade came when the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to No. 10 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft to add then-Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Fast-forward to the present day and Mahomes has led the franchise to three Super Bowl titles, including back-to-back championships over the past two years. While Mahomes, who sat most of his rookie season behind Alex Smith, quickly established himself as an elite quarterback, his arrival to the league — and possible landing spot with K.C. — could’ve been wildly different under today’s college football climate.
In a recent interview, Mahomes was asked about NIL deals and what he could’ve been paid when he was at Texas Tech within this current landscape. In his answer, the two-time league MVP noted that being able to make significant money at the collegiate level could’ve delayed his NFL career.
“It would have been a good amount of money, especially for Lubbock, Texas,” said Mahomes, via The Kansas City Star. “If I would have been able to get NIL, I probably would have stayed for my senior year, and who knows what the rest of my NFL history would have been?”
It’s a fascinating “what if?” scenario to think about if Mahomes were to have stayed with the Red Raiders for the 2017 season. While he didn’t play much at all during his rookie season, could the Chiefs have been able to still trade up a year later to draft him?
…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/patrick-mahomes-admits-he-may-have-delayed-nfl-career-if-nil-deals-were-around-during-texas-tech-tenure/
Author : Tyler Sullivan
Publish date : 2024-08-23 20:33:11
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
