Why Bengals Sound Willing to Restructure Joe Burrow's Contract

 The Bengals are already in the top 10 of the NFL in available cap space this offseason, but they could create even more with a contract restructuring for Joe Burrow.

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin didn't make it sound like that was inevitable in the next few months, but he didn't shoot it down this week.

"We look at all areas to increase our competitiveness if we have to. Cap dollars have to be counted. And so if we can accomplish what we want to accomplish without pushing things into future problems, we'll do that," Tobin said on Tuesday. "If we need that, we'll consider that as well. As I said, we're open to doing anything we need to do to improve our team to the point where we're satisfied we're going to win a championship. That's our mindset, and that's the way we're going into the offseason. But we have resources right now, and we'll see what we can get done. You know, when free agency kicks off, you never know exactly what is going to happen. 

"There's 31 other teams doing the same thing we're doing, and 30 teams looking to improve, and one team that's happy. So we're not alone in our needs, and, you know, there aren't enough elite-type players to service 32 teams, and we're aware of that. We're trying to be strategic and find the players who will fit our system, our scheme, and elevate us to a championship, and that's what we're focused on."

The Chiefs have consistently used this method to keep stacking pieces around Patrick Mahomes and his shifted deal throughout this decade.

They've been able to re-tool twice around him in different offseasons to get back to Super Bowls, while the Bengals have slipped in their pursuit of greatness after consecutive trips to the 2022 and 2023 AFC Championship Games.

Burrow's deal is already a bargain as we sit here today. His contract never takes up more than 16.32% of the cap through the rest of the deal. Still, Cincinnati left major holes on the roster these past few years while not restructuring Burrow's deal to gain more cap space and pursue extra talent.

It's a delicate roster dance to choreograph. One Tobin and the Bengals brass are trying to nail much better over the next three months.

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