The Big Lead

Joe Burrow willing to restructure contract to help get Bengals teammates paid

By Sam Westmoreland

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow celebrates a Week 17 overtime win over the Denver Broncos that kept Cincinnati's slim playoff hopes alive. Burrow threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns in the game and also added a rushing score.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow celebrates a Week 17 overtime win over the Denver Broncos that kept Cincinnati's slim playoff hopes alive. Burrow threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns in the game and also added a rushing score. / Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said he's willing to restructure his massive contract to help keep his teammates on the roster in Cincinnati, according to ESPN's Ben Baby.

In an interview with the "Pardon My Take" podcast, Burrow explained his contract and how he could restructure it.

"You could convert some of the money to a signing bonus, which will lower the cap hit," Burrow said. "You can push some of the money to the back end of the contract. That lowers the cap hit. And then when you get to the back end of the contract, you can restructure it and convert it to a signing bonus. You can also just take less money."

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Burrow later said he'd be willing to convert the money into a signing bonus. He also sang the praises of the Philadelphia Eagles, and how they've handled the salary cap.

"The Eagles are paying everybody," Burrow said. "That seems like the way. Whatever they're doing."

Burrow's contract is the subject of debate because the Bengals have multiple star players who either want or need new contracts. Wide receiver Tee Higgins is set to become a free agent this offseason, and Ja'Marr Chase is due for a new contract of his own. On top of that, star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson wants a new deal after leading the NFL in sacks this season.

Unfortunately for Burrow, he doesn't play for the Eagles; he plays for the Bengals, one of the most infamously thrifty organizations in the NFL. The only thing owner Mike Brown dislikes more than paying players they've drafted is paying top-tier free agents to come in and play.

Sure, Burrow got his money, and there's no way Chase won't get paid (unless they somehow manage to botch the negotiations). But paying Higgins what he's worth, and paying Hendrickson before they have to both seem outside the realm of possibility at this point, given this team's history. When the Bengals want to build, they do it in the least-expensive way possible, and their window historically only lasts as long as their non-stars' contracts do, at which point they start building again.

That's why the defense was such a mess this year, and it's why it was such a pleasant surprise to see the team sign Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency.

Burrow may be able to help the Bengals retain someone, but expecting them to keep all three of their stars who need paying is setting yourself up for disappointment.

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