The Cincinnati Bengals have eyes on an extension for quarterback Joe Burrow.
But a bit of housekeeping first.
Wednesday, the NFL announced the fifth-year option numbers for first-round picks from the 2020 NFL draft.
Burrow’s checks in at $29,504,000 because he’s made one Pro Bowl.
For the Bengals, the number doesn’t really matter — they would accept whatever willingly for obvious reasons. As of right now, Burrow is a cap hit of roughly $11.5 million in 2023 before the escalation to the $29.5 million number.
If the Bengals reach an extension with Burrow this offseason the major cap hits don’t figure to arrive until after the fifth year. As of now, creative structures like rolling guarantees similar to what Patrick Mahomes took in Cincinnati could make him the highest-paid passer in the NFL while also being team-friendly in the way it leaves cap space for other players.
Based on Ja’Marr Chase’s comments, that team-friendly deal might just be on the way.
