Joe Burrow could be the next NFL quarterback to sign a massive contract extension, and many have anticipated that the Cincinnati Bengals star’s new deal will reset the market. That may not wind up happening.
Burrow told reporters on Tuesday that his camp has been negotiating with the Bengals, and he has been involved in the discussions. He said he would prefer for the contract talks to not play out in the media, though the former first overall pick did offer an interesting response to one question.
Burrow was asked about some of his teammates also nearing the end of their current contracts and whether that factors into his approach.
Update: The #Bengals and QB Joe Burrow are currently working on a contract extension.
Burrow mentions that the team has other players that also deserve to get paid: "That's always on your mind, you want it to be a focal point." pic.twitter.com/5GhlDpePvX
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 16, 2023
“Whenever you have guys on the team that need to be paid, that’s always on your mind,” Burrow said. “You want that to be a focal point, so we’re working to make that happen.”
That does not necessarily mean Burrow will give the Bengals a huge hometown discount. The former LSU star is still signed through 2024 after Cincinnati picked up his fifth-year rookie option, so there are a number of ways the deal could be structured to benefit the team from a salary cap standpoint.
What Burrow’s comments probably do mean is that he is not seeking anything like the five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million deal Deshaun Watson signed with the Cleveland Browns. That would make it a lot more difficult for the Bengals to re-sign key players like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Bengals have made it abundantly clear that they intend to sign Burrow to a new deal. We would be surprised if that does not happen before the start of the 2023 season.
