Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is about to reset the quarterback market and become the highest-paid player in NFL history at some point this summer.
At least, that’s a hivemind thought shared by most Bengals fans and outside observers in the wake of the Los Angeles Chargers and star quarterback Justin Herbert agreeing to his massive deal this week.
Most everyone in the know says Herbert’s deal was the final hurdle in the way of Burrow’s extension. ESPN’s Adam Schefter just went as far as saying Burrow’s numbers will be “well north” of Herbert’s deal.
And NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, appearing on the “Rich Eisen Show” said the following:
“I do believe, from my understanding, they wanted to see where Herbert came in. Because if you’re the guy who is really going to set the top of the market, you didn’t want to do a deal, say at $53 million and have Herbert come in at $52.5…so now that they have Herbert locked in, they know where that bar is to clear.”
It’s a long way of reinforcing the idea that yes, Burrow’s contract extension will be massive and could happen in a matter of days, if not at least by the time the regular season starts.
And Burrow? He’s still talking about how the goal with his deal is to make it possible for names like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to stay in town, too.
#NFLNetwork's @MikeGarafolo called in today to discuss
Justin Herbert's monster deal and how this could impact #Bengals QB #JoeBurrow's contract status.@nflnetwork #NFL pic.twitter.com/yGaSI6gQBL— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 26, 2023
The Brinks truck is already on its way to Cincinnati for Joe Burrow? 💰🤑
“Joe Burrow is expected to become the highest paid player in NFL history. … I can promise you the numbers are gonna be well north of [Justin Herbert’s].” —@AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/9gLhDSdXp4
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 26, 2023