Cincinnati Bengals are looking to extend the contract of star quarterback Joe Burrow, with negotiations already underway.
Burrow is one of the star QBs in the NFL, having helped the Bengals to the AFC Championship game in each of the last two seasons, winning one back in 2021. No Super Bowl has been secured yet, but the franchise is clear they have their quarterback for the future.
The 26-year-old was the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft after winning the Heisman Trophy in college with LSU. Now he is set to be handed a new deal by the Bengals as his rookie deal comes to an end.
Burrow’s current contract runs for the next two years until 2025. He signed a four-year deal worth a guaranteed $36m when drafted, but will now become one of the highest earners in the league.
Lamar Jackson was handed a new five-year deal worth up to $208m with the Baltimore Ravens, with guarantees of $185m. That followed on from Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles signing a four year $204m deal earlier in the off-season.
Other quarterbacks in the league including Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers are all earning considerably more than Burrow. Whilst a rise is inevitable, much of the discussion has been around just how much Burrow will earn and how the deal will be structured to help the team as much as possible.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin has provided some insight into how the negotiations are going. Tobin admitted that talks between himself and Bengals’ chief financial officer Katie Blackburn are happening as they look to agree a contract for Burrow that meets their salary cap requirements.
“We’ve looked at a lot of different things,” said Tobin on the Pat McAfee Show. “Thankfully, Katie’s on top of that one. She’s the one that keeps us on track with the salary cap. Not only for this year, but for future years
“So everything we do, and we’re looking now, but these dollars count, if you’re not counting them this year, you’re gonna count them next year, and the year after.
“So every dollar that goes out counts. So it’s a pie. Just how big of a piece of the pie, you know, the only thing I can predict with the contract is it’s gonna be a sizeable amount of money, and he’s not going to be asking any of you for loans anytime soon. He’ll be paid well and he’s earned it.”
Burrow was recently asked about the contract negotiations and whether or not a deal would get agreed. The quarterback admitted that he is aware of the value he adds to the Bengals, and believes all players, not just himself, should be paid fairly and for what contribution they bring to their respective franchises.
“I’m involved. That’s in the works,” said Burrow earlier this month. “That’s not really something that I like to play out in the media. That’s something — just the way, I think, they want to do business, I want to do business, we prefer to keep that between us.”
“I’m pretty clear on what I want in the contract and what I think is best for myself and the team. So, we’re on the road to making that happen.
“It’s definitely — whenever you have guys on the team that need to be paid, that’s always on your mind. You want that to be a focal point. So, we’re working to make that happen.
Burrow later added: “You’ve got to have good players. It doesn’t matter how good your quarterback is if you don’t have good players around him, you’re not going to be a very good team.”
