The Bengals have finally locked quarterback Joe Burrow into a long-term deal. After months of negotiations, it was revealed that Burrow would become the highest-paid player in NFL history. His new deal with the Bengals is a five-year, $275 million extension with $219.01 million guaranteed. The deal surpasses those of Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson, all signed this summer and all briefly the biggest in NFL history.
"This is where I want to be. This is where I want to be my whole career. We're working toward making that happen. You've seen what the front office has done and what Zac [Taylor] has done in their time here. I'm a small part of that [and] I'm excited to be a part of that. I'm going to keep playing well. I feel great about the organization and everybody in the locker room and in the coaching staff. [The contract] is the icing on the cake to me. I'm just excited to be out here," Burrow told reporters.
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Burrow Ready To Ride 2022 Momentum
Burrow has just 42 career games to his name. However, he is already a Super Bowl participant and a Pro Bowler at one of the league's most hotly-contested positions. Despite suffering a calf injury during training camp, Burrow is expected to be under center for the Bengals when they open their season against the Browns on Sunday. While their secondary was gutted in the offseason, the team is expected to win their third consecutive AFC North title this season. However, a lot of that will hinge on whether Burrow can maintain his hot start as the team's starter.
"He's a motivated player, he's a motivated teammate, he's a motivated leader," Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin. "He puts the time in to make sure that he is ready to go and then he drives others to be ready to go. So all the things we liked about him from the very start have been true and he's kept that up." Burrow also enters the season with the second-best odds to win MVP. That journey got off a perfect start when award favorite Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs lost their season opener to the Lions.
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