The top priority remaining for the Bengals this offseason is getting a deal done with quarterback Joe Burrow. The team’s franchise signal-caller is taking a hands-on approach during negotiations, which remain ongoing. 
Contract talks began in March, to no surprise. The 26-year-old has put himself in line for one of several mega-deals at the position which have been signed in recent years, including Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson eclipsing the $50MM-per-year mark on their new contracts signed in 2023. Those pacts represent further benchmarks for Burrow’s second contract, which will likewise come with a hefty pricetag given his level of play and importance to the franchise’s string of success.
“I’m involved. That’s in the works,” Burrow said of extension talks, via Eric Edholm of NFL.com. “That’s not really something that I like to play out in the media. Just the way I think they want to do business, I want to do business, we prefer to keep that between us.”
The former No. 1 pick has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and he will be tied to a 2024 salary of $29.5MM given the Bengals’ decision to pick up his fifth-year option. While that leaves both parties plenty of time to work out a deal, Cincinnati has a number of other young contributors due signficant raises in the near future, something which could provide added urgency to establish clarity on how much Burrow will cost through the foreseeable future. When speaking on that point, the latter acknowledged that contracts for other financial priorities are still a “focal point” for him during his negotiations.
Wideout Tee Higgins was mentioned in trade rumors this offseason given the team’s need to extend not only Burrow, but also fellow pass-catcher Ja’Marr Chase as early as 2024. Higgins will remain with the Bengals for this season, but he and linebacker Logan Wilson headline the players seeking new contracts this summer. Sorting out how (if at all) they can keep their entire young core intact will go a long way in determining the Bengals’ success for years to come, but finalizing a new Burrow pact represents an obvious first step.
“I’m pretty clear on what I want in the contract and what I think is best for myself and the team,” Burrow added when asked about specifics during extension talks. “So we’re on the road to making that happen.”
Does anyone remember the commentator on this platform @burrow_is_a_bust ?
They were kind of right.
They just forgot the the HOF part before bust.
Nope. I generally don’t remember complete morons though.
As much as the Bengals have a reputation for being cheap, they have always taken care of their star quarterbacks, so I have no doubt they will now. I also believe they will keep Chase for sure and most likely Higgins. It will be interesting to see who else they can afford to keep. I think they will be playing with a lot of guys on rookie contracts and cycling through those contracts with different rookies for awhile. Drafting will be crucial.
So following the Brady model: team friendly to afford other contracts….but Brady never had expensive weapons on offense. They always spent that money on defense and Brady made due with bargain contracts around him.
I don’t think investing all the money on offense is a good idea if you can’t afford a defense.
I think the good GMs try to strike a balance on spending. Without a defense, a team will rank near the bottom in possession time and that places a lot of pressure on any offense, even those with talented weapons.