Justin Herbert became the highest-paid NFL player this week without even winning a playoff game. But chances are Joe Burrow‘s new contract will push him to the top.
The only issue for the Bengals quarterback is how soon the deal becomes official. Burrow has won playoff games. Two years ago, Cincy made the Super Bowl. Then the Bengals were a late field goal away from beating the Chiefs in this past season’s AFC title game.
“I’m focused on getting a deal done that’s good for us, good for me, good for the team and good for everybody,” Joe Burrow said Wednesday after the Bengals finished their first training camp practice.
Joe Burrow could reset the quarterback market
And, for what it’s worth, nothing Herbert signed, Burrow said, would speed up (or slow down) his deal to stay in Cincinnati.
“The whole goal when you get in league is to get a second contract,” Joe Burrow said. “I’ve played well. I’ve done everything you can do, it gets done when it gets done.”
Meanwhile, we only thought Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson reset the quarterback market. Herbert did. The Chargers agreed to give Herbert a five-year, $265.2 million contract extension earlier this week. Herbert showed up for Wednesday practice with relatively little pressure to impress.
“I think I just get to play football now,” Herbert said Wednesday during a press availability. “I think that’s the best part about it, is that I get to play free. (And) I get to play fearless. We go out there and get to play our type of ball. I know when we’re playing at our best, we’re a tough team. These next couple of weeks of getting together, working together. I think they’re going to be huge for us. We’re going to show a lot of improvement.”
So getting back to Burrow, would he even think about sitting out parts of training camp until his extension is finalized. He said no way.
“I’ve wasted enough days over the last two years with injuries, appendicitis, COVID year before that,” Burrow said. “I don’t want to get out of camp wishing I had seven more days that I could have got better. So that’s the reason I’m here.”
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