Kamario Taylor is headed back to Starkville, and the price tag is staggering.
According to On3Sports, Mississippi State is finalizing a new deal that will bring Taylor back in 2027 and make him one of the highest-paid players in college football. The report says the agreement is worth $7.5 million per year, with incentives that could push it to as much as $9 million.
Taylor’s return comes after a season that flashed big-time potential before a turf toe injury shut him down. He had opened 2026 with a surge of momentum, helping Mississippi State race to a 4-0 start and drawing early Heisman buzz along the way.
The Bulldogs beat Louisiana-Monroe, Minnesota on the road, South Carolina and then-No. 19 Missouri before the injury changed everything.
He was in the middle of that Missouri win when the toe issue first surfaced, though he stayed in the game. Mississippi State then fell 56-23 to Alabama, where Taylor played through the injury, was sacked five times and threw two interceptions while also losing a fumble early. He was pulled in the fourth quarter and did not return.
Taylor missed the Oct. 17 game at LSU, then tried to gut it out the following week in a 23-14 loss to Oklahoma before being replaced by backup Billy Parker Puckett. On Oct. 27, the school announced he would undergo season-ending surgery on the toe injury. ESPN reported that Taylor pushed hard to keep playing, but getting healthy enough to be effective won out.
“Nobody wants to be on that field more than Kamario,” Bulldog head coach Jeff Lebby said via ESPN. “I know how much this team means to him, and how much he means to this team. We’ll be right there with him throughout his recovery.
“He’s the ultimate teammate and competitor. ... You see it in the work he’s put in and the way our players and coaches believe in him the way they do.”
Taylor’s path back to Mississippi State also quiets the speculation that followed his fast start. The Macon, Mississippi, native grew up a lifelong Bulldog fan, but after the way he opened the season, some wondered whether he might enter the portal and move on elsewhere.
Instead, Mississippi State locked in its quarterback with a deal that could reshape the program’s financial ceiling at the position. Taylor will return as a junior in 2027, with the Bulldogs hoping he can help deliver a winning season in Starkville for the first time under Jeff Lebby.
Taylor’s numbers tell the story of a player on the rise. In 2025, he completed 55.8% of his passes for 629 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while adding 458 rushing yards and eight rushing scores. In 2026, he jumped to 65.4% completions, 1,460 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions, plus 147 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
By the time the injury hit, he had already thrown for 1,192 yards with 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the early part of the 2026 season. And if the reported deal lands where On3 says it could, Taylor’s payday would even top Miami quarterback Darian Mensah among the biggest reported NIL figures in the sport this season.
In Other News...
Rashee Rices Latest Off-Field Twist Raises A New Chiefs Question
Rashee Rices latest off-field development adds another layer to a situation the Chiefs have already been monitoring closely. The wide receiver filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court, listing nearly $3.4 million in total debt and just over $13,000 in available cash, a stark snapshot of the financial fallout tied to his legal troubles.
The filing pauses creditor actions for now, but it does not automatically wipe away what Rice may still owe to people and entities listed in the case. Among the debts are legal fees and settlement claims tied to the 2024 high-speed crash and assault allegations, leaving Kansas City with yet another unresolved question around a player whose future has already been shaped by matters far beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]
Kenneth Walker Is Giving Chiefs Fans A Bigger Debate Than Expected
As the Chiefs keep leaning on Kenneth Walker through the first eight games of the 2026 season, the conversation around him is getting a little bigger than just Kansas Citys backfield. Micah Parsons, working his way back from a torn ACL and meniscus with a return target around Nov. 25, singled out Walker as one of the backs he sees in the same conversation as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, a notable nod from a player who knows elite talent when he sees it.
For Chiefs fans, the praise only adds to a debate that has been building around Walkers impact. He has been a key part of Kansas Citys success, producing as both a runner and receiver while helping steady the offense, and Parsons comparison puts a sharper spotlight on how high Walkers ceiling might really be. The question now is less about whether he matters and more about just how far his play can carry the Chiefs as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Kelce And Taylor Swift Wedding Had One More Unexpected Chiefs Connection
A wedding at Madison Square Garden would have been headline enough, but Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift managed to fold in a few more notable names for the occasion. Adam Sandler officiated, Paul McCartney performed, and the couple kept the focus on giving by asking guests to skip gifts and instead make charitable donations.
One of the beneficiaries was the Hancock County Humane Foundation in West Virginia, which shared the news on Instagram and highlighted the couples request. For Chiefs fans, it was another reminder that Kelces off-field moments can still ripple well beyond football, with a feel-good connection that reached all the way to a local animal shelter. [Read more 🡒]