Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott and QBs in Line for New Contracts After Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes became a rich man on Monday, and his contract will likely help some of his colleagues hit the jackpot as well.  

According to Steinberg Sports, Mahomes agreed to a 10-year, $503 million extension with the Chiefs that will keep him under contract with the team through 2031. 

With Mahomes getting paid, it's bound to have a domino effect on quarterbacks set to hit free agency within the next few years. 

Dak Prescott is eligible for free agency in 2021, while Deshaun Watson will hit the market in 2022. Looking even further down the road, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are among the 2018 draftees whose rookie deals will expire by 2023.

Upon learning of the length of Mahomes' extension, one obvious question was why he'd tie himself down for that long given the general trend in quarterback salaries.

Heading into the 2015 season, Drew Brees had the highest cap number for a quarterback at $23.8 million, per Over the Cap. Now, Prescott owns the highest cap hit thanks to his one-year, $31.4 million franchise tender.

With an average salary of $45 million, Mahomes surpasses Russell Wilson ($35 million) to become the highest-paid player in the NFL.

Given how soon they're free agents, it's difficult to imagine how Prescott's or Watson's representatives can secure a new record-breaking extension. In three years, Mahomes already has one MVP and a Super Bowl title to his name. Neither Prescott nor Watson can match those achievements.

Sooner or later, though, it's a safe bet somebody will move ahead of Mahomes in annual earnings.

Jackson might have a shot, based on his MVP-winning campaign in 2019. He threw for 3,127 yards and 36 touchdowns while running for 1,206 yards and seven scores. His value and versatility are such that the Baltimore Ravens might have little choice but to back up the proverbial Brinks truck to his doorstep.