Latest Joe Burrow contract update isn't surprising at all
Breaking news: The next quarterback to receive a massive extension will become the highest-paid player in the NFL. Sounds familiar, right? That's because it happens virtually every time. So often, in fact, that every time a franchise quarterback generally accepted as one of the best in the league, the market for the position gets reset […]
Breaking news: The next quarterback to receive a massive extension will become the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Sounds familiar, right? That's because it happens virtually every time. So often, in fact, that every time a franchise quarterback generally accepted as one of the best in the league, the market for the position gets reset in his name.
This is going to happen with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, no matter how much you may want him to take a discount.
We've already debunked the theory that the quarterback taking less cash is the only way for the team to receive salary cap relief. Such discourse seems foolish in the face of what is happening in reality.
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported earlier in the week what has been inevitable for months. The Bengals have "made their initial push" to sign their franchise quarterback, and the deal will help Burrow overtake Lamar Jackson for the title that gets passed off every year between quarterbacks.
"Burrow will no doubt be the highest paid player in the NFL once his deal does get done.” – ESPN's Jeremy Fowler
The idea of Burrow signing for less than the highest yearly salary an NFL player has ever agreed to has derived from press conference quotes, and the unique situation Burrow has found himself in with the Bengals. Burrow is flanked by two bonafide No. 1 receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins; two receivers who will command salaries starting at $25 million per year at the very least. Burrow has also alluded to ensuring his top targets are able to get paid alongside him in this process.
Can that happen if Burrow takes less than market value at the quarterback position? Of course, but the same is true if he signs for $53 million a year or more, which is the expectation.
It all comes down to how long Burrow's deal will go for, and when the cash in the deal will be distributed to him. Guaranteed figures are put into escrow, of course, but the more backloaded the Bengals make Burrow's deal, the more flexibility they'll have to fit Chase and Higgins under the cap in the immediate future.
This could lead to potential cap constraints down the road, but the Bengals can cleverly avoid those issues by negotiating the right deal for Burrow now. That is what's likely taking the most time in this process, figuring out how to pay Burrow every penny he deserves, while ensuring their cap health for the future.
When Burrow's deal hits the wire, the structure is expected to be unlike any the Bengals have ever agreed to. It's a good thing the player is more than worth bending principles.
