NFL Agent Predicts a QB to Sign $100M per Year Contract by 2029-30 Season

One NFL agent believes the league is less than a decade away from a quarterback earning nine figures annually.

"We'll get to $75 million in the next four to five years and $100 million by '29-30," the agent said to The Athletic's Ben Standig. "People can dismiss that idea, but it will happen sooner than later with the way the cap is rising.'

Another agent posited a scenario in which the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes would get $300 million guaranteed over three years as a free agent.

The market is already halfway there, with the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert, Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson and Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts all making $50-plus million per season.

Five years ago, $30 million was the going rate for an elite quarterback, and that figure was around $20 million in 2013. Hitting $100 million by 2030 seems plausible when the NFL's revenue continues to climb, which will have an inflationary effect on player salaries.

Some agents interviewed by Standig expressed some skepticism, though.

One pointed to San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Brock Purdy, alluding to how the extent of his success as a seventh-round pick might lead teams to reevaluate the position down the road. Another pointed to how a quarterback may want to leave some money on the table due to the constraints of a salary-capped league.

Mahomes said publicly after he signed his record-setting 10-year extension with the Chiefs that he hoped to give Kansas City some financial flexibility by committing for so long. His $45 million is looking more and more like a bargain as time goes on.