The Cincinnati Bengals were aggressive in free agency this past week, signing two key offensive linemen to help protect quarterback Joe Burrow.

Cincinnati is paying guard Alex Cappa $10 million a year, more than double what the franchise has ever paid a guard before. They're also paying Ted Karras $6 million a year.

The Bengals are committed to winning with Burrow. They're not going to cut corners and waste their Super Bowl window with potentially the next legendary NFL quarterback.

But despite the strong start to the offseason, it feels like the Bengals' Super Bowl window was shortened this week.

And it has nothing to do with anything that Cincinnati did. Instead, it had everything to do with mega-contracts signed by Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, and Matthew Stafford.

The Bengals are in a prime position right now to build an elite roster. And they'll be in this position for the next couple of years.

But after the next couple of years, roster construction is going to get tough.

Right now, the Bengals have the benefit of an elite quarterback and an elite wide receiver both playing on their rookie contracts.

Burrow's cap hit is $9.8 million this year. It's $11.5 million in 2023. Then there's the fifth-year option. Burrow will almost certainly be extended sometime after next season — though that deal will likely be constructed in such a way that the first couple of years of the deal won't have a severe cap hit.

Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase's cap hit is $8.4 million this year and $9.8 million in 2023.

The Bengals are getting two of the best players in the NFL for around a combined $20 million. This is the perfect opportunity to build an insane roster around those two players and chase a Super Bowl.

That appears to be the Bengals' approach. Which is a good thing, because the second contracts for Burrow and Chase are going to be VERY expensive.

If Burrow continues on his current trajectory, he could very well end up being the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. And that's trending toward the $50 million range.

And Chase could end up being the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Thanks to Davante Adams' extension with the Las Vegas Raiders this week, that number is now around $28 million a year.

The Bengals will obviously want to keep both players. Which means they could have an extra $60 million in salary they have to figure out what to do with.

Cincinnati will obviously still be a Super Bowl contender after those contracts are signed. But the window won't be as wide open as it is right now.

The smart thing to do would be for the Bengals to extend Burrow after the 2022 season, when he's first eligible for an extension, and make it a 10-year or 12-year extension.

That might seem absurd, but it's the path that would provide the team with the most financial flexibility. For one, quarterback salaries are only going to continue to go up. So locking Burrow in at the 2022/23 rate could prove to be a massive bargain in 2029 when quarterbacks might be approaching $70 million a year. A long-term deal also gives the Bengals more options for restructuring the deal along the way to help with salary-cap space.

Cincinnati isn't going to be in a bad spot after re-signing Burrow and Chase. This isn't a sky is falling scenario. It's just that the Bengals are in a really, really good spot right now. And they can't afford to waste it.

Featured image via Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK