Joe Burrow has already suggested he could take the 'Tom Brady' approach when it comes to signing as new contract extension, and team-mate Ja'Marr Chase has credited the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback.
The Bengals are a side filled with talent, and young talent at that. Burrow, Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon are all under the age of 27, and have already made the Super Bowl once as a unit back in 2021.
They were beaten in the AFC Championship final last year by the Kansas City Chiefs, but former NFL star Rob Gronkowksi has told Burrow that he could enjoy a fabulous legacy in the league if he is clever about his future contracts. And it looks as though Burrow may have taken that advice after Chase spoke out about the quarterback.
Burrow is deep in contract negotiations, but broke his silence on the matter recently as he said: "I'm involved. That's (contract) in the works. That's not really something that I like to play out in the media. 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. 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."
And his comments appear to be completely genuine, after Chase told the Cincinnati Enquirer : "It means he wants to win. He’s not a big guy on money... He wants to look out for the people around him and keep the team around him."
Lamar Jackson broke the NFL contract record when he signed a five-year, $255million (£204.2m) deal with the Baltimore Ravens just moments before the 2023 NFL Draft. It was later surpassed marginally by Jalen Hurts, who was rewarded by the Philadelphia Eagles and tied down.
Burrow was in the same Draft class as Hurts, and could easily hold firm for a similar deal to his fellow quarterback. But Burrow is keen to restore a healthy cap space at the Bengals, which will allow them to keep the core of star players at the franchise.
It's a selfless act in terms of finances, but it's something that Brady famously did throughout the majority of his NFL career at the New England Patriots - instead reaping the rewards on the field. Brady may be the best quarterback to ever live, but keeping his talented team happy allowed him to lift seven Super Bowl titles.
