Why the latest contract projection for Bengals QB Joe Burrow is nonsense
Everyone knows that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is going to receive a contract extension this offseason. But no one knows what that extension will look like. And thanks to Burrow and the Bengals taking a vow of silence when it comes to discussing the negotiations, there have been no leaks so far on the […]
Everyone knows that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is going to receive a contract extension this offseason.
But no one knows what that extension will look like.
And thanks to Burrow and the Bengals taking a vow of silence when it comes to discussing the negotiations, there have been no leaks so far on the extension talks.
While there haven't been any details leaked about Burrow's extension talks, there have been plenty of contract projections.
One of the latest projections is from Pro Football Focus' Brad Spielberger.
Spielberger has Burrow signing a four-year extension worth $214 million.
That would be a rich contract extension for Burrow and he's certainly deserving of it.
But it almost certainly won't be the deal that's worked out between Burrow and the Bengals.
Burrow obviously wants to be paid what he's worth (he should be among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL). But he also wants Cincinnati to have some flexibility when it comes to building the roster in the future.
Ultimately, Burrow wants to win a championship. And he's not going to sign a deal that makes that difficult for the Bengals.
That's why fans should expect to see Burrow sign a deal similar to the one that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed in early 2020.
Mahomes signed a 10-year extension worth $477 million. I wouldn't look for the numbers to match, but I'd expect Burrow to sign an extension that looks similar in length.
The long contract would provide Cincinnati with plenty of opportunities to restructure Burrow's contract when needed (Kansas City has restructured Mahomes' contract twice since he signed his extension, including earlier this offseason).
A four-year deal would make it difficult for the Bengals to have financial flexibility while Burrow is in his prime. There's very little chance that's the deal that Burrow signs this offseason.
