As more and more money is pumped into the NFL machine, player contracts will continue to become larger and larger, especially for star quarterbacks.
Joe Burrow is next up to sign his name on the dotted line, and the Cincinnati Bengals will be offering him a behemoth of a deal.
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler’s latest polling of NFL executives includes a snippet regarding potential extensions for Burrow and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Per Fowler, the $50 million per year mark is where both passers are expected to reach.
“The expectation is both players sign new deals that surpass [Aaron] Rodgers’ league-high average of $50.3 million per year.”
If I could whistle, I would. But just like the report of Cincinnati planning to extend Burrow this year, this isn’t surprising at all. It’s just how the league works.
Burrow and Herbert are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and they also happen to be two of the youngest at the position. Those are the guys who reset the market when their time comes, and it’s coming right now.
The structure of Burrow’s deal will be the real question, not the average annual value. Will the Bengals pump in massive roster bonuses as the Kansas City Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes’ 10-year deal two years ago, or will it resemble massive upfront guarantees unlike any Bengals contract we’ve seen before?
That’s for the front office and Burrow’s agent to know, and for us to find out.
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