The Cincinnati Bengals picking up the fifth-year option of quarterback Joe Burrow was the most obvious news item of the offseason for the team.
Tuesday, the team made that official, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The move happened days before the 2023 NFL draft, locking in Burrow for a fifth year at a $29.5 million price tag. It also happened roughly one week before the deadline to pick up the fifth year for players from his class.
This was merely a matter of due diligence by the team and needed to happen before any extension. An extension is still in the works and once done, will increase his earnings on that fifth year while also potentially lowering the team’s cap hit.
As of this writing, Burrow is under contract through 2024, with any extension years applying after that.
