The Bengals and star quarterback Joe Burrow have reached an agreement on a new five-year contract that will make the 26-year-old the highest-paid player in NFL history, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Burrow’s new deal reportedly is worth a potential $275 million and will include $219.01 million in guaranteed money.
Burrow will make an average of $55 million per season, exceeding the $52.5 million average annual value of Justin Herbert’s contract with the Chargers, which was signed earlier this offseason.
The record-setting contract extension comes one day after the 49ers made Nick Bosa the highest-paid defensive player in league history.
Throughout the offseason, Burrow maintained that he wasn’t worried about the new deal, stating that he wanted to be in Cincinnati for his entire career. With just a few days before the Bengals’ season opener, the two sides managed to come to an agreement on the record-setting contract extension.
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Burrow, who had been nursing a calf injury for much of the offseason, told reporters Wednesday that he’d be “ready to go” for the Week 1 clash against the Browns. Now, he’ll be doing so as the highest earner in the league.
Burrow has started 42 games for the Bengals since being drafted with the No. 1 pick in 2020 out of LSU. He’s been named to one Pro Bowl and was the Comeback Player of the Year in 2021.
