Joe Burrow is staying in Cincinnati for the lengthy haul. The Ohio native and Professional Bowl quarterback has come to phrases on a record-setting long-term cope with the Bengals, who chosen him with the No. 1 general decide within the 2020 NFL Draft. Particularly, Burrow has reached an settlement on a five-year, $275 million contract, as confirmed by CBS Sports HQ Senior Insider Josina Anderson. That makes Burrow the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past. The extension additionally contains $219.01 million assured, according to ESPN.
Mockingly, the information broke shortly following kickoff of the NFL’s opening sport between the Chiefs and the Lions. Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs MVP quarterback, famously mocked Burrow’s cigar celebration after Kansas Metropolis defeated the Bengals in January’s AFC title sport rematch.
Mahomes often is the NFL’s finest quarterback (a sentiment shared by Burrow himself), however the league’s highest-paid participant now resides in Cincinnati and for a staff that for a very long time was recognized for its frugality. A lot has modified, nonetheless, since Burrow first arrived in Cincinnati within the spring of 2020. After profitable a mixed six video games in 2019-20, Cincinnati received the AFC two years in the past and have received the AFC North every of the final two years. A lot of that success could be attributed to Burrow, who desires to proceed to construct upon the success he and his teammates have had over the previous a number of years.
“My plan is to be right here my complete profession,” Burrow said throughout an interview with NBC Sports activities throughout final yr’s postseason. “Hopefully, Zac [Taylor] is right here my complete profession, and hopefully lots of our guys are round for so long as my profession as they are often.”
When requested about his contract on Wednesday, Burrow bolstered his need to stay with the Bengals for the lengthy haul. He added that, extension or no extension, he’s beginning Sunday’s season-opener in opposition to the Browns a little bit over every week after returning to follow after a calf damage sidelined him for a month.
A Heisman Trophy winner and nationwide champion at LSU, Burrow received Comeback Participant of the 12 months in 2021 after recovering from a critical knee damage to steer the Bengals to the Super Bowl. Final season, Burrow was named to his first Professional Bowl whereas spearheading the Bengals’ consecutive AFC Championship sport appearances. Over the previous two seasons, the Burrow has compiled a 22-10 common season and 5-2 postseason file because the Bengals’ beginning quarterback.
The third quarterback to steer the Bengals to a Super Bowl, Burrow is hoping to affix Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason as Cincinnati quarterbacks which have received league MVP. Burrow was within the operating to win the award final season earlier than it was in the end awarded to Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. And regardless of the calf damage, Burrow mentioned Wednesday that he’s in one of the best form that he has ever been in getting into an NFL season. He attributed his health to weight lifting throughout his month recovering from the calf damage.
Burrow can be trying to lead the Bengals to the franchise’s first Tremendous Bowl win. Cincinnati has good odds to make that occur this season; they’ve the fifth-best odds to win the Tremendous Bowl, based on Caesars Sportsbook. Burrow, in case you had been questioning, has the second-best odds at profitable league MVP, behind solely Mahomes.
As he alluded to above, Burrow is hoping that the Bengals can preserve their core in tact for a few years to return. With Burrow taken care of, Cincinnati’s subsequent precedence is locking up wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase, a two-time Professional Bowler and 2021 Offensive Rookie of the 12 months, is getting into the third yr of his rookie contract. Higgins, a 1,000-yard receiver every of the previous two seasons, goes into the ultimate yr of his rookie deal.
Whereas these contracts nonetheless have to get carried out, the Bengals will doubtless take time to have fun locking up Burrow, who has joined Hurts, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson as quarterbacks who signed longterm offers this offseason.
