Bengals will not 'rush the process' with Joe Burrow negotiations
The Cincinnati Bengals are being very clear about how they’ll do things this offseason.
"It's not done yet," was Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin's response when asked about the Cincinnati Bengals' inevitable contract extension for quarterback Joe Burrow.
"It's a good problem to have," Tobin told reporters on Tuesday with a smile on his face. "I've been pretty vocal about what Joe means to us and my job is to facilitate his success as best as I can by putting pieces around him."
Tobin's answers mirror how everybody around the Bengals (and really, the entire NFL) feels about Burrow's situation: It's going to get done.
However, the Bengals executive did provide some insight that shoots down one popular narrative that surrounds the Joe Burrow negotiations.
For months now, everyone has assumed that Burrow's upcoming deal is the first thing on the front office's to-do list. But not necessarily.
It might be the single most important task of the offseason. But don't confuse importance with urgency.
"We're going to worry about it first and we'll see when it gets done," said Tobin. "We have some ability to control the cap hit for year 1 but we'll see how it goes."
"Maybe it's the first piece to come, maybe it's the last," added the Bengals' decision maker. "I don't think we're totally handcuffed with some other things as the process plays out."
This doesn't mean that the Bengals are thinking of dragging the process out. However, it's about getting it right, not quickly.
"Obviously sooner is better but we're not going to rush the process, we're going to get the right deal for Joe and for the Cincinnati Bengals," concluded Tobin.
It will be very intriguing to see how the Bengals approach the much-anticipated Joe Burrow contract.
Will it be something like Patrick Mahomes' 10-year creative contract structure? Or will it mirror closely the fully guaranteed deal that Deshaun Watson received? Perhaps the sides opt to keep it simple with a more "traditional" contract?
Whatever the correct answer is, rest assured, Burrow is getting paid. But all that should matter to the Bengals is that it will be their team getting the elite quarterback in the process.
Featured image via Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
