In just three years, Joe Burrow has already established himself as a key part of the NFL's bright future under center.
In the last two, Cincinnati transformed from a hopeful to a legitimate force in the AFC, reaching Super Bowl LVI and coming painfully short from making a return trip last season. None of this could be accomplished without Burrow, Cincinnati's most valuable and most important piece of its franchise.
He'll be paid accordingly soon enough -- just not right now.
"It gets done when it gets done," Burrow said when asked for an estimation of when he might sign a long-term extension. "We'll see."
Burrow has certainly earned a lucrative, market-resetting extension. After suffering a season-ending knee injury during his rookie season, Burrow earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2021 on his way to an AFC title and narrow loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, and he finished fourth in NFL MVP voting in 2022 while leading the Bengals to an AFC North title and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game.
The Bengals -- a franchise that previously relied on the likes of Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton -- will go as Burrow goes.
Tuesday's agreement between the Los Angeles Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert on a five-year, $262.5 million extension officially set the target for Burrow's representation in their dealings with the Bengals. When the time comes to put pen to paper, it's fair to expect Burrow's extension will exceed Herbert's in value.
Having said that, Burrow told reporters Wednesday he isn't paying attention to the contracts other quarterbacks have signed elsewhere.
"No, not particularly," Burrow said. "I'm focused on getting a deal done that's good for us, good for me, good for the team, good for everybody."
A deal that is "good for everybody" might look differently than the one Herbert agreed to Tuesday. Burrow could sign an extension similar to the one signed by his AFC nemesis, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, which pays him at a premium rate without financially tying one hand behind general manager Duke Tobin's back, allowing the Bengals to remain a very competitive team.
The latter portion is important to Burrow, because in this era of the salary cap, the NFL is designed to make it difficult to remain among the elites. Burrow's most important running mates, receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, will also be due for new contracts before long, and if Burrow can increase Cincinnati's chances of retaining them by agreeing to a deal friendlier to the books, it sounds as if he's very interested in doing so.
"We'll see. Obviously, that's the ideal situation," Burrow said. "When you keep guys together for a long time, they build a rapport and they build chemistry, and that translates onto the field. That's obviously the goal."
Higgins is first in line behind Burrow for a new deal. The 2020 second-round pick is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, and would certainly like to have some security before taking the field in 2023.
Higgins isn't allowing financial matters to keep him from practicing, though. The hope is that Burrow's deal is done soon, and then the Bengals can address Higgins' situation.
Expecting the Bengals to keep all three isn't entirely realistic at this point, but that could change depending on what Burrow's extension looks like. For now, it's a waiting game. Once Burrow's deal is done, Tobin can sort out the rest of Cincinnati's monetary puzzle.
