Chapter 950: 949 Visionary

Calm, composed, confident.

Li Wei slightly nodded his head, “Of course, I’m looking forward to a record-breaking contract. More importantly, I’m looking forward to seeing the sincerity from the team.”

Previously, Li Wei had already expressed his beliefs and goals to Veach–

His patience and focus are not due to being content, but because of his ambition.

In fact, from Li Wei’s perspective, Veach choosing to negotiate his contract during this offseason was itself part of a strategy.

Before, when Hunter was still with the team, he stirred things up inside, attempting to negotiate an early extension. Based on Veach’s attitude at that time, it was clear he wasn’t planning to talk contract extensions with a second-year running back.

However, a lot has changed since then, including Hunter’s departure, the team’s title defense, and the glory of a regular-season MVP award.

Veach realized that if he waited until after Li Wei’s third year to discuss an extension, the leverage in Li Wei’s hands could increase significantly. By then, the Kansas City Chiefs would find themselves in a real tight spot–

On the one hand, they’d need to meet Li Wei’s expectations and satisfy the fans’ demands. On the other hand, they’d have to consider the League and other teams’ responses.

Once the valuation of running backs flips entirely, it could set off a ripple effect, with running backs across the league uniting in protest.

The tough and hardline stance shown by the Pittsburgh Steelers in handling Bell’s situation serves as a clear example. Despite public backlash, other teams were, in fact, supporting Pittsburgh Steelers on that issue.

Therefore, after weighing the situation, Veach decided to advance contract negotiations by a whole season.

It was precisely because Veach knew Li Wei had been brewing a storm.

Li Wei has never shied away from this fact.

“But.”

Li Wei shifted his tone mid-sentence, causing Mahomes, who was initially excited and jubilant, to pause in shock. Was there a twist?

“I don’t intend to drain the pond to catch all the fish.”

Mahomes didn’t understand what Li Wei meant.

A smile spread across Li Wei’s lips.

“Do you know why Revis carries so much infamy? Is it simply because he fought for the pay he deserved?”

“No, it’s because he greedily fought for more, and more, and more–hurting the interests of others in the team and squeezing their salary cap space.”

“The NFL operates under a hard salary cap. The limit is there, and no one can exceed it. Each team has a specialized group that handles salary cap calculations, monitoring every single contract and transaction to ensure compliance and avoid penalties under League regulations.”

“When one individual’s salary increases, it inevitably means that others’ cap space gets compressed. Not everyone is willing to sacrifice their interests.”

“That’s why the offseason for a Super Bowl-winning team often feels like a strategic game. The team manager must let go of some players to free up cap space for contracts with others who are more valuable or essential.”

“Every year, team rosters can undergo dramatic changes, and it all stems from this.”

“Revis repeatedly made demands, often requesting renegotiations even before his contract expired, just because he felt he’d just delivered an exceptional season. This kind of greed didn’t just cut into others’ cap space but also disrupted the locker room atmosphere.”

Now, Mahomes finally understood. “Because he only cared about himself and didn’t consider the team as a whole.”

Even in Kansas City, Revis remained a lone wolf, never fully integrating into the team’s culture–a solo fighter only thinking of himself.

Li Wei nodded gently.

“Last season, when Cousins joined the Minnesota Vikings, he signed a historic fully guaranteed contract. Logically speaking, it should’ve been a milestone, paving the way for other players to aim higher and secure better deals. But that’s not what happened. Clearly, players don’t like him.”

“Do you understand the reason now?”

Last season, the Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars both made historic appearances in the conference finals, but neither managed to advance further. Both teams were gearing up in full force for the new season.

However, reality turned out to be hard. Both teams ultimately missed the playoffs.

Among them, the Minnesota Vikings–who spent lavishly during the offseason–were undoubtedly the most shocking case.

Mahomes froze where he was, remaining silent for a long time.

Suddenly, Mahomes lifted his head to look at Li Wei, his expression revealing a hint of hesitation.

“Rookie, did the team choose to release Justin and Eric just to make room for negotiating extensions with the two of us?”

The connections came together like puzzle pieces.

For Mahomes and Li Wei, it was good news. But for Houston and Berry, it was a farewell notice.

Li Wei didn’t try to sugarcoat it, “Partly, yes.”

Although there were far more complex reasons behind Houston and Berry’s departures, and the reality was much more intricate, it was undeniable that Veach was making comprehensive plans–letting go of some to gain others. Thus, they were the ones sacrificed.

Mahomes let out a long breath, collapsing onto the sofa, once again experiencing firsthand the harsh realities of professional sports.

Mahomes glanced at Li Wei, “So, what are you planning to do?”

Li Wei replied, “I’m not Captain America, willing to sacrifice myself to save others. I will still fight for my own interests; that won’t change.”

“But I won’t sacrifice what truly matters for short-term gains.”

Mahomes asked, “What do you mean?”

Li Wei clarified, “I’m still expecting a record-breaking contract, but I won’t push for an outrageous number. There’s no need to be excessively greedy.”

“Maybe, we can consider signing a long-term contract, with a more forward-looking perspective.”

“I know the League is growing rapidly, and every year the hard salary cap increases, causing player salaries to rise as well. Signing a long-term deal might make the contract seem undersized three or five years down the line.”

“But rather than focusing on the annual salary numbers, we should prioritize maintaining the team’s balance.”

“Maybe the team can utilize the salary cap space to sign more outstanding players or promote talented rookies, ultimately forming a strong lineup.”

“Salary is important–extremely important. This is a professional league, and anyone claiming it doesn’t matter is absolutely deceiving themselves. But teamwork is equally important because that’s the foundation for us to compete for victories and championships.”

“Maintaining the team’s competitiveness is more important than salary itself.”

In the NFL, players like Brady, Brees, and Big Manning–these top-tier athletes–have all voluntarily restructured their contracts, reducing their annual salary income. They didn’t chase numbers but instead helped their teams build more competitive rosters to aim for Super Bowl championships.

This is Li Wei’s vision–

Fight for what he deserves, but there’s no need to obsess over making history.

Excessive greed leads to only one outcome: apart from having extra digits in a bank account, when leaving the game, you end up with nothing else.

“Besides, to be honest, my endorsement income outweighs these annual salaries.”

“If we can maintain competitiveness and keep winning titles, the off-field earnings and bonuses will keep rolling in.”

“The math isn’t that hard to figure out.”