Former NFL executive pours cold water on talk about Joe Burrow, Bengals offseason divorce

At the very least, Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow has attracted attention via recent comments he has made amid a lost season for just about everybody associated with the 4-10 club. 

The Bengals made Burrow the first overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he was on his rookie deal when Cincinnati signed him to a five-year, $275M contract extension in September 2023. For a piece published by Sports Illustrated on Thursday, former NFL executive and current league insider Andrew Brandt shared why there's essentially no real chance the Bengals and Burrow will get divorced this offseason. 

Bengals have millions of reasons to hold onto Joe Burrow

"The notoriously thrifty Bengals organization — they didn’t even clear the snow off the stadium seats Sunday — has paid Burrow $177M over the past six years, $146M in the past three years," Brandt explained. "They have him under contract for roughly $35M, $37M and $40M over the next three years, a bargain price for a player like Burrow. This franchise, perhaps more than any other in the NFL, is not moving away from this asset and that value." 

Burrow previously indicated he wasn't having "fun" as an NFL player coming off the toe injury he suffered in Week 2 of this season that left him needing surgery and kept him sidelined until Week 13. However, he did say on Wednesday that he "can't see" himself playing for a different team in 2026. It's possible that Burrow's comments were related to the future of head coach Zac Taylor, who reportedly will remain with the Bengals through the upcoming offseason. 

How Bengals reportedly will react to talk about Joe Burrow’s future

"The Bengals have also signed Ja'Marr Chase to the largest wide receiver contract in NFL history, averaging $42M per year, and doubled down with a contract to wide receiver Tee Higgins at $28M per year," Brandt continued. "These are not receivers to trust with anyone but the franchise quarterback they have under contract. There will be speculation about Burrow’s future. Ignore it, just as the Bengals will be doing."

It sounds like fans of other teams hoping that the Bengals will make Burrow available should put such dreams to bed ahead of Christmas.