Joe Burrow vs. Justin Herbert contract standoff does not help the Bengals
For as much talk that surrounds Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his potential contract extension, the buzz surrounding Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert for the same reason has been almost nonexistent. It makes all the sense in the world for the Chargers to get their franchise passer locked in for the foreseeable future. […]
For as much talk that surrounds Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his potential contract extension, the buzz surrounding Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert for the same reason has been almost nonexistent.
It makes all the sense in the world for the Chargers to get their franchise passer locked in for the foreseeable future. The fact that it hasn't happened by now suggests that Burrow might be the reason, and vice versa.
According to Pro Football Talk, it's believed that Burrow and Herbert's camps are in a standoff to see which one signs first, so the other can end up with the larger deal. This was heavily assumed to be the case for Burrow, but it's surprising to hear it apply to Herbert as well. And it's not a good thing for the Bengals.
To be clear, the money itself is not an issue. The Bengals are willing to pay Burrow what he's worth, whatever the final numbers may end up as. They've stacked their cash reserves for the past few years in anticipation for this very endeavor. The problem lies in how a prolonged negotiation could disrupt their plans.
Florio goes on to mention that this standoff benefits both teams because neither Burrow nor Herbert are making a fuss about not getting a contract or holding out in any regard.
What he fails to mention is the ramifications for the Bengals if this waiting period drags on.
"The teams benefit because the players aren’t agitating for deals, as they enter their fourth NFL seasons. By all rights, both should already have their contracts. And if they were ready to go, their deals likely would be done. This is believed to be about the broader dance among who makes how much, with agent competition and marketing at the heart of the situation." — ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio
Burrow is the obvious top priority for the Bengals, and he'll also be signing the largest deal in NFL history when it gets done. Because of how lucrative the deal will be, the Bengals need to get it done first before finalizing contracts with Tee Higgins, Logan Wilson, and any other veterans they're interested in extending this offseason.
Going out of order could potentially limit how much cash they can Burrow up front, which is arguably the most challenging aspect of the negotiation. Burrow's guarantees and first-year cash are expected to shatter previous Bengals records.
Getting Burrow done first means they'll have a clear understanding of how much cash (and salary cap space) they'll have to work with in getting the other deals done. In all likelihood, preliminary talks with Higgins and Wilson have occurred, and they have a decent idea of where their contract numbers are going to end up looking like.
But nothing can compromise getting Burrow's deal signed as soon as possible. The longer they Bengals wait, the more unlikely they'll be able to take care of their other star players this Summer.
Bengals: Former agent reinforces suspicion of Joe Burrow’s contract structure
He’s getting the entire bag.
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