Now that the numbers are released, what are the implications? ...

 

- 5 years, 275 million (55 per year avg), but with the 2 years he has remaining because of the 5th year option, Burrow is essentially now signed up for the next 7 years for 316 million (45 per year avg).

 

- What does this mean for Higgins? For Chase? For keeping the band together? 

 

- Is this enough of a "team friendly deal" that the Big 3 can still stay together? Is the salary cap really flimsy and teams can make it work if they want regardless. 

 

- Would you have preferred more years than 5? (really 7). This will now take him to the age of 34 when his next deal is up, which allows for the team to sign him to one more likely 4-5 year contract so he can retire a Bengal at age 38-39 (assuming he doesn't play into his 40s like Brady). 

How does Joe Burrow's new contract impact the Bengals?

• 
  Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterSep 7, 2023, 08:58 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- Joe Burrow has his big payday.

 

And, the Cincinnati Bengals have their quarterback and face of the franchise.

 

The Bengals have agreed to terms with Burrow on an 5-year, $275 million extension that includes $219.01 million guaranteed, sources tell ESPN. The deal makes him the highest paid player in NFL history, a well-earned deal for a player who has transformed Cincinnati's franchise.

 

After Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee his rookie season, Cincinnati has thrived in his first two full seasons in the NFL. The Bengals won two division titles and reached consecutive AFC Championship Games, including the 2022 victory that yielded the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance since 1989.

 

Here's more context around Burrow's contract, what it means for the Bengals and what's next.

What does this mean for Burrow?

This establishes Burrow, 26, as the Bengals quarterback for the foreseeable future. This deal cements his status as the foundation on which the rest of the franchise will be built.

 

In December, when Burrow was asked about the window for the Bengals to win a championship, he quipped, "The window's my whole career." That sentiment has permeated the building, especially after the Bengals had one of the most impressive seasons in franchise history.

 

Cincinnati matched its high mark for most wins in a regular season (12) and had a dominating road victory against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round before losing to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game.

 

During the eight-game winning streak that stretched from Week 9 to the end of the regular season, Burrow completed 67.4% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. In three of those games, his completion percentage over expectation was greater than 10%, according to ESPN Stats & Information, a reflection of his superb accuracy. Burrow, now entering his fourth year, currently holds the NFL record for the highest career completion percentage at 68.2%.

Can the Bengals keep other players including receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins?

The Bengals will have to account for Burrow's contract when managing the salary cap for the foreseeable future.

 

In each of the past two seasons, Burrow has accounted for roughly 5% of the team's total salary cap. That allowed Cincinnati and executive vice president Katie Blackburn, Bengals owner Mike Brown's daughter and a longtime franchise administrator, to dole out big contracts over the past few offseasons, particularly on defense. In 2022, Cincinnati's cap charge for defensive players was $101.2 million, the third highest in the NFL according to Roster Management System.

 

Burrow's contract will impact Cincinnati's ability to not only sign future free agents but keep existing stars. In August, Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson signed a four-extension worth up to $37.25 million. But Higgins, another member of the 2020 draft class, does not have a contract extension. Keeping him in the mix could prove to be very difficult.

 

The biggest question is how long Cincinnati will be able to keep Burrow, Higgins and Chase together. Chase, who was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021, has been prolific in his first two NFL seasons. Since entering the league, he's sixth in total receiving yards and second in total receiving touchdowns, according to ESPN Stats & Information. While the Bengals' front office is anticipating the salary cap to continue to rise, Cincinnati must also account for the premium being placed on top receivers.

 

In 2022, the Kansas City Chiefs traded wideout Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks, including a first- and second-round selection. Hill then signed a $120 million contract with Miami, with an average of $30 million annually to become the highest paid receiver in the NFL.

 

With Chase and Higgins both producing at high levels, they could command lucrative salaries that were always going to make budgeting a challenge, even before Burrow's new deal.

How long has this been in the works?

Burrow's contract extension didn't sneak up on anyone. It has been a topic of conversation dating back to last summer. After the Bengals reached the Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 season, Cincinnati's first appearance in the title game in 33 years, Brown praised Burrow for his role in the franchise's success. The longtime team executive also telegraphed he was preparing to pay Burrow handsomely.

 

"Right now, our obvious, most important issue will be with our quarterback," Brown said in July 2021 when asked about the team's upcoming contract negotiations. "It's not quite ready or ripe yet but it's right down the track. We see the train coming."

 

As soon as the season ended, Bengals coach Zac Taylor noted contract discussions with Burrow were top of mind for the front office.

"That starts now internally," Taylor said on Jan. 30, the day after Cincinnati's season ended. "Just wrapped up with the team today and as you go forward, you get a chance to start talking about Joe and all the other players that are up (for new contracts)."

How does Burrow's deal compare to other top QB contracts?

The draft class of 2020 played a big role in reshaping the quarterback market before the Bengals and Burrow reached a deal.

 

First, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts cashed in after leading his team to a Super Bowl berth. According to Roster Management System, Hurts' deal is worth an average of $51 million annually with $180 million in guaranteed money.

 

A few weeks after that deal was negotiated in April, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson signed a contract extension that averaged $52 million a year. That held as the highest average in NFL history until late July, when the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert agreed to terms on his extension.

 

Herbert, who was drafted five spots after Burrow went to the Bengals No. 1 overall in 2020, was set to earn an average of $52.5 million annually on a five-year extension, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Despite lacking the playoff success of Hurts and Burrow, Herbert holds the honor as the only player to throw for more than 4,000 passing yards in each of his first three seasons.

 

Another deal to note is that of Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes. In 2020, Kansas City gave Mahomes $141 million in guaranteed money as part of a 10-year extension that could be worth up to $503 million. However, the deal is particularly team-friendly in that it's laced with incentives and most of the yearly money is delivered in roster bonuses. In addition to a $10 million signing bonus, the recent Super Bowl champions built massive roster bonuses into the contract, with one reaching as high as $49 million in 2027.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35800288/how-does-joe-burrow-new-contract-impact-cincinnati-bengals

I don’t think they keep Tee, but I don’t think this contract is why. I still think Tee wants to be a 1. 

You really can’t overpay Joe Burrow. And everything else is secondary (and secondary is paying a great OLine top dollar to protect Joe Burrow. 

(a good place to repost this, his latest NFL100 video) 

 

Chris Jones: "He will dime you up"

 

ack!  Misread the question.  Still on first cuppa.  I'm the one "yes" on question one.

Should be no, like everyone else.  Duh

I can absolutely see him restructuring his contract (more than once) to allow the team to sign key players and maintain his protection, his arsenal, and the defense. 

45 minutes ago, Jason said:

I don’t think they keep Tee, but I don’t think this contract is why. I still think Tee wants to be a 1. 

 

I think he and his agent want him to be paid like a #1.  I take Higgins at his word he wants to stay.  His agent won't budge.  Will Higgins?  If not, he probably will be gone in a year or so.

48 minutes ago, Jason said:

I don’t think they keep Tee, but I don’t think this contract is why. I still think Tee wants to be a 1. 

This., His agent will want to maximize every guaranteed dollar too (we saw that with Bates).

 

I think they can only reasonably keep one of Tee and Chase, and it is going to be and should be Chase. 

He had a blank check basically ... and only took just enough to be highest paid. But had the leverage to take way more. 

 

They don't rip up contracts, but add on to them. But the better way to look at this contract is that the Bengals ripped up his old contract and gave Burrow a 7 year 316 million deal. And if that was announced last night, I think everyone would have said what a "team friendly" discount it was. 

 

Burrow certainly was the one player in NFL history who could have demanded a 100% guaranteed contract, but he didn't. 

 

Burrow could have asked for 60 or even 65 mill a year and he would have gotten it, but he didn't (took 55). 

 

Burrow could have demanded only a 3 year deal, so he was up for another bite at the apple in 5 years at age 32, but he didn't. 

 

So some of these bad takes I have seen today on social media that he "took too much" or left no pie for the others is incorrect. There was no way his agent would let him sign a deal below Justin Herbert's. It would have been professional malpractice. So the agent knew he had to get him the highest deal ever, but just barely above it. That's why his guarantee is 219 million to Herbert's 218. 

The Bengals can afford Higgins, but to make it happen they would have to guarantee more money beyond the first year as the rest of the league has done. Burrow of course got tremendous guaranteed money as a rare franchise QB, but he wasn't the one that set a new precedent. Orlando Brown was, and to sign Higgins and certainly Chase to extensions they will have to continue to do with non-QB guaranteed money. 

 

I don't buy the Higgins wants to be a no 1 argument. I think he wants the guaranteed money that a no 1-2 receiver gets around the league while being covered like a no 2 by defenses. It's the best of both worlds.

16 minutes ago, dex said:

The Bengals can afford Higgins, but to make it happen they would have to guarantee more money beyond the first year as the rest of the league has done. Burrow of course got tremendous guaranteed money as a rare franchise QB, but he wasn't the one that set a new precedent. Orlando Brown was, and to sign Higgins and certainly Chase to extensions they will have to continue to do with non-QB guaranteed money. 

 

I don't buy the Higgins wants to be a no 1 argument. I think he wants the guaranteed money that a no 1-2 receiver gets around the league while being covered like a no 2 by defenses. It's the best of both worlds.

I consider him 1A.

Taking a three year deal here practically guarantees him extra playoff money

he would not get with most other teams.

Besides, he likes it here, the team and city.

Would love to see his extension announced right before the Elves game.

He's worth it and deserves it.

2 hours ago, alleycat said:

You really can’t overpay Joe Burrow. And everything else is secondary (and secondary is paying a great OLine top dollar to protect Joe Burrow. 

He said he was willing to take less, just saying...

5 minutes ago, TigerJ@w said:

He said he was willing to take less, just saying...

 

... But this is less, than what he could have gotten if he played hard ball and didn't sign until 2 years from now, after a SB championship, when he would have commanded 75+ mill a year. 

1 hour ago, BlackJesus said:

 

... But this is less, than what he could have gotten if he played hard ball and didn't sign until 2 years from now, after a SB championship, when he would have commanded 75+ mill a year. 

Agree for the most part.  He could have really held their feet to the fire.

Still, as it is, Mike will have to make the retreads on the Lumina last a little longer.

(Note... he comes to the stadium in a big black SUV with dark tint windows and a police escort lights and sirens blaring)

4 hours ago, High School Harry said:

he comes to the stadium in a big black SUV with dark tint windows and a police escort lights and sirens blaring)

 

I would guess Mike is the richest person living in Cincinnati. Hell, I'm surprised he doesn't take a helicopter. 

 

$hiesty: "I'm him"

Pat Mcafee reacts to the contract 

 

 

Rich Eisen on the contract 

 

NFL Live on the contract and keeping Tee & Ja'Marr