It’s a good time to be an NFL quarterback. With signal callers signing deals regularly worth north of a quarter-billion dollars, it’s clear the position remains the most valuable in the league. And for excellent quarterbacks on rookie deals, it’s a chance to cash in.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is entering the final year of his rookie contract. By next offseason, he hopes to already have a massive deal in place. Burrow said contract discussions are “in the works,” but it’s “not really something that I like to play out in the media.”
Still, that won’t stop us from speculating on what he could potentially make with a new deal.
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We don’t have to look too far for a recent example. Burrow’s AFC North rival Lamar Jackson just signed a five-year, $260 million extension to stay with the Baltimore Ravens. The deal makes Jackson the highest-paid player in terms of average annual value.
Fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts also just scored himself a major pay raise, inking a five-year, $255 million deal with the Eagles.
For additional inspiration, Burrow can point to other young quarterbacks, such as Kyler Murray (five years and $230 million) and Josh Allen (six years and $258 million). One thing in Burrow’s favor: he outdueled Allen during the most recent postseason, leading the Bengals to the AFC Championship Game after orchestrating a 27-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Burrow believes last season was his best one yet, and that he still has more growth ahead. If the Bengals agree, they could try to secure him to an even longer deal. In that situation, Burrow’s contract could very well approach the value of the one Patrick Mahomes signed with the Chiefs in 2020, when he agreed to a super-sized 10-year, $450 million deal.
Remember, before Burrow got to town, Cincinnati had not recorded a playoff victory since 1990. Burrow has now won five playoff games over his past two seasons, including a Super Bowl appearance two years ago. The Bengals are going to do what they can to keep him happy.
We’ll see what the final numbers are on Burrow’s contract, but we know one thing: He’s going to make a ton of money in the process.