Brett Veach says team has “a lot of time” to do Mahomes’ contract

When Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach spoke to the press during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, there was no doubt that questions about their starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes would be high on reporters’ lists.

Reid was asked about whether Mahomes would have cleanup surgery on the dislocated kneecap he suffered in the Week 7 victory over the Denver Broncos that kept him off the field.

As he often does on medical questions, Reid dodged it.

“Right now, he looks good,” he said. “He was throwing with Dez Bryant the other day. He looked like he was slinging it around pretty good. So I think he’s fine.”

Reid was referring to viral video that surfaced on Friday, showing Mahomes throwing passes to the former Cowboys star in a private workout facility in Fort Worth. Many on social media may have drawn more from that video than they should have. Both players work with wide receivers coach David Robinson in the offseason.

Bryant has said he still wants to return to the NFL, but hasn’t played since 2017. He did sign with the New Orleans Saints midway through the 2018 season but tore an Achilles tendon before he could play a down.

Veach was upbeat on the other subject the media wanted to cover with regard to Mahomes: the large contract extension he could be signing soon.

“We have a lot of time,” he told reporters. “That’s a good thing in regards to Pat. We’ll almost certainly continue dialogue with him like we’ve [done with] Chris Jones and these other guys. As we kind of work through the new landscape of the NFL and the new CBA, we’ll certainly get together.”

It’s long been speculated that the Chiefs and Mahomes’ representatives might want to wait until the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was adopted before signing a new deal. Veach’s answer seemed to hint that this is indeed the case. The new CBA could be adopted as early as this week, but if it isn’t, there is a good chance the league will put it on hold until after the coming season. That’s no problem for the cap-strapped Chiefs, as Mahomes remains on his inexpensive rookie contract through the year — although Mahomes and his camp could feel differently about that.

There certainly doesn’t seem to be much doubt that the Chiefs want to make that long-term deal with their quarterback, who has been named the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in his first two seasons as a starter. Veach called Mahomes’ contract “a big priority” — and was then reminded of his comments during the 2018 NFL Combine, when he said Mahomes was “one of the best players I’ve ever seen.”

“The good thing is that he still is,” said Veach. “That’s a positive thing. A special kid, a special player. To have him work with Coach Reid has been a blessing for our organization and Chiefs Kingdom. So hopefully we have a lot more Super Bowls to win with with him — and we’re excited to get after the next one.”