Chapter 951: 950 Weighing the pros and cons

Mahomes was amused by the confidence radiating from Li Wei’s words, “Even if you add up the ads of half the players in the League, they still can’t compare to yours alone.”

Li Wei spread his hands as if it were only natural, “I can’t help it. When popularity comes, you can’t stop it. Don’t envy me–envy is the root of all loss.”

Mahomes burst out laughing, clutching his stomach while shaking his head repeatedly. “No, no, no, I’m totally envious–so much so that my stomach hurts. The other day, Brittany said she sees your ads everywhere she goes. What’s next? Are you going to endorse makeup too?”

Li Wei actually gave it some serious thought. “Makeup… might be a bit tricky. But perfume? That’s doable. Look, even JJ has his own line of perfume.”

Mahomes imagined Watt’s image and remarked, “What, Eau de Sweat?”

Li Wei couldn’t believe his ears. “Sherlock, you’ve gone bad. I blame Travis.”

Mahomes, seeing Li Wei’s look of innocence, collapsed onto the couch, laughing uncontrollably.

After goofing around, Mahomes lay flat on the couch, staring blankly for a moment. “But not everyone can be like you.”

Li Wei understood this perfectly. “That’s why you need to calmly figure out what you really need.”

Mahomes turned to look at Li Wei, his gaze filled with inquiry.

Li Wei thought for a moment. “Look at Le’Veon Bell.”

“Everyone in the League criticizes Bell for being greedy, but is that really the case? The highest annual salary for running backs took nearly a decade to rise from 10 million USD to 15 million USD. Meanwhile, the growth in average salaries has lagged far behind the League’s increasing salary cap.”

“For quarterbacks, Rodgers’s annual salary of 30 million USD seems mind-boggling now, but do you believe it?”

“Five years from now, that number might feel insignificant. Annual salaries of 50 million USD might be everywhere.”

Mahomes inhaled sharply, finding it hard to believe his ears.

But Li Wei remained composed. “It’s entirely possible. After all, the attention focused on quarterbacks in the League just keeps skyrocketing because Goodell needs to create stars.”

“With so many players on a football team, if you don’t elevate a star position, it doesn’t help global marketing efforts.”

“It’s like soccer. If there are player stars, you push those stars. If not, you promote positions–like forwards or midfielders–focusing all attention on one position. For casual viewers, that lowers the barrier to entry. That’s the correct approach to broadening a sport’s fan base.”

“In the League, quarterbacks are that position.”

Even though Li Wei had time-traveled back, he knew nothing about football, so he had no idea what the League would look like five years down the line.

All of this was simply Li Wei’s analysis based on the League’s current situation.

And as it turns out, Li Wei was right.

In the original timeline’s 2024, the highest annual salary for running backs still hadn’t broken 20 million USD, while that of quarterbacks had effortlessly surpassed 50 million USD–

And it wasn’t an elite quarterback. It wasn’t Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, or Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens–but Jordan Love, the fourth-year quarterback who succeeded Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers.

Love had only one full season as a starting quarterback under his belt. That season wasn’t even elite–barely excellent. Yet, due to the significant overvaluation of quarterbacks, he signed an astonishingly lucrative contract during the 2024 offseason.

This was reality. Ridiculous but real.

And it wasn’t an isolated case.

Back in the previous offseason, Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings had signed a fully guaranteed contract, already signaling the League’s trajectory.

Indeed, Li Wei knew nothing about the NFL. But precisely because he was an outsider, he could see things more clearly.

“I agree with Bell.”

“He was merely trying to fight for the respect running backs deserve. Between his team’s victory and his personal needs, he sought a proper balance to slot himself into.”

“Unfortunately, he failed in the end.”

“Up next, it’ll be the same for you. If you sign a long-term contract now, your salary might be undervalued five years from now. People might feel bad for you: ‘Oh, poor Mahomes, what a shame,’ and then urge you to renegotiate with the team for a new deal.”

“On the flip side, with a steadily rising salary cap, the room freed up by quarterback salaries could allow the team to sign more excellent players.”

“For instance, an offensive line that could properly protect the quarterback; or a group of wide receivers who don’t have Butterfingers.”

Before Li Wei could even finish, Mahomes clutched his face and groaned, “No, rookie, this is a curse–a curse!”

Wide receivers with Butterfingers are every quarterback’s nightmare. Even if the quarterback throws a perfect pass straight into the receiver’s hands, only for them to drop the ball, it’s a disaster. There’s nothing the quarterback can do–it renders half their skills useless.

Li Wei chuckled.

In Li Wei’s view, this was the charm of football. Whether you’re a quarterback or a running back, you rely on your teammates’ cooperation. Otherwise, you’re like a lone hand clapping–powerless.

Li Wei looked at Mahomes. “So, you have to think for yourself. Is it personal needs or team victories?”

“Of course, everyone knows that without team success, individual achievements mean nothing. The key point is, how much of your personal needs are you willing to sacrifice for team victories, and to what extent? Finding that balance is the hardest part.”

Mahomes turned his head to Li Wei. “What about you? If it were you, what would you do?”

Li Wei spread his hands. “Sherlock, you’re a quarterback. My situation is different from yours. I can’t decide for you. You should think it over yourself–or discuss it with your agent.”

Mahomes waved his hand. “I know, I know. I’m just curious about what you think. You know you’re the smartest person I know.”

Li Wei’s lips curved into a smirk. “My condolences to Brittany.”

Mahomes groaned dramatically.

Li Wei laughed heartily but soon dropped the jokes, giving it some serious thought. “If it were me, I’d aim to break the League’s highest annual salary, then demand a long-term contract–say, five or even seven years.”

“That number might seem shocking now, but we all know that five or seven years from now, it could become very common, even below the League’s average.”

“But that’s fine. I’d have already enjoyed top-of-the-League pay for five solid years. Even if the subsequent salary is below average, I could live with that.”

“Because the cap space saved would allow the team to sign more talented players, letting us chase more victories and championships together.”

“Looking at it from another angle, it’s like a rookie contract in another form.”

“Signing a long-term deal with relatively stable numbers, providing the team with the flexibility to build around it.”