The Cincinnati Bengals are undoubtedly feeling the sting of losing the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs. Completely understandable, missing a trip to the Super Bowl should hurt, but Tuesday's news will make it a little easier to handle.

Quarterback Joe Burrow has proven how smart the Bengals were for taking him with the No.1 pick, leading them to multiple conference championship games and a Super Bowl appearance in his first three seasons. Unless someone has been living under a rock, it's common knowledge that Burrow is headed towards a huge payday, and Bengals' head coach Zac Taylor feels there's no time like the present.

From NFL Now: #Bengals coach Zac Taylor makes clear the time is now for a Joe Burrow extension. pic.twitter.com/AXgvZdShWo

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 31, 2023

Burrow has been at the forefront of completely changing the narrative when it comes to the Bengals. He lead them to their first postseason victory since 1990 a season ago, and his five playoff wins are equal to what the Bengals accomplished as a franchise before him.

The AFC is loaded with talent at the quarterback position, making it a difficult conference to get through. Burrow has gone head to head with the likes of Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Josh Allen of the Bills in the playoffs, and he's beaten them both.

Although the Bengals haven't achieved the ultimate prize of winning a championship yet, Burrow made it clear earlier this month that as long as he's on the roster, they will always have a shot.

“The window’s my whole career,” said Burrow. “And everybody that we have in that locker room, all the coaches we have, things are going to change year to year. But, our window is always open.”

Gotta love that kind of moxy from a quarterback, and it's a big reason why Burrow will have a much larger bank account soon.

Feature image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports