This is true on an annual basis, as Burrow will be earning an average of $55 M / season during this deal. Here’s Joe Burrow contract breakdown
Bengals QB Joe Burrow is NFL’s new highest-paid player.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow have agreed to a 5-year contract extension worth a reported $275 million extension that includes $219.01 million guaranteed. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news.
Burrow, 26, is now the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Burrow has revitalized the franchise in his first three seasons with the Bengals.
In back-to-back seasons, Burrow led the way to consecutive AFC North championships, two trips to the AFC championship game and an appearance in Super Bowl 56.
The Bengals have made several changes on and off the field the past two years to ensure they had they had the finances to pay Burrow at market value.
Joe Burrow contract breakdown surpassed Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert – all of whom got new deals this offseason – with this new contract. Herbert reset the market on July 25 when he agreed to a five-year deal worth a reported $262.5 million.
Bengals owner Mike Brown famously said “we see the train coming” ahead of the 2022 season when asked about the decisions to sell the naming rights of the stadium to Paycor, along with the naming rights of the practice fields and indoor facility. The team also allowed various companies to buy gate signage rights all over Paycor Stadium.
These decisions were made to pay Burrow and the team is hopeful to be able to keep wide receiver Tee Higgins.
The wide receiver market has exploded over the last few seasons and Higgins will demand a lucrative contract.
Also the next priority for the Bengals is locking in extensions with Higgins and next offseason Ja’Marr Chase will be eligible for an extension.
It was important for the Bengals to get the contract extension with Burrow done ahead of the season opener in Cleveland for many reasons. The most important one being the long-term security he will feel with this extension done.
The draft class of 2020 played a big role in reshaping the quarterback market before the Bengals and Burrow reached a deal.
First, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts cashed in after leading his team to a Super Bowl berth. According to Roster Management System, Hurts’ deal is worth an average of $51 million annually with $180 million in guaranteed money.
A few weeks after that deal was negotiated in April, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson signed a contract extension that averaged $52 million a year. That held as the highest average in NFL history until late July, when the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert agreed to terms on his extension.
Herbert, who was drafted five spots after Burrow went to the Bengals No. 1 overall in 2020, was set to earn an average of $52.5 million annually on a five-year extension, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Despite lacking the playoff success of Hurts and Burrow, Herbert holds the honor as the only player to throw for more than 4,000 passing yards in each of his first three seasons.
Another deal to note is that of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. In 2020, Kansas City gave Mahomes $141 million in guaranteed money as part of a 10-year extension that could be worth up to $503 million.
However, the deal is particularly team-friendly in that it’s laced with incentives and most of the yearly money is delivered in roster bonuses.
In addition to a $10 million signing bonus, the recent Super Bowl champions built massive roster bonuses into the contract, with one reaching as high as $49 million in 2027.