Joe Burrow Rumors: Bengals QB Wants to Structure New Contract to Keep Weapons

The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best young cores in the NFL, but many of those young players will be due for significant contract extensions in the near future that could force the group to be split up.

One of those players is quarterback Joe Burrow, though Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said during a recent interview that the 2020 No. 1 overall pick wants to structure his contract in a way that will allow Cincinnati to keep all of its best players.

"At the end of the day, I don't think Joe's really too worried about how much money he's going to make because he's already making a tremendous amount. It'll work out for us. I think Joe knows what he wants and how he wants to set up his contract to keep some of his weapons around him, and I think that's the biggest part for him," Chase said on NFL Network.

Burrow is set to enter his fourth NFL season in 2023 and will soon be up for an extension.

With the way the LSU product has played, he's due for a significant contract extension that will put him with the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes as one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.

Getting Burrow locked up will undoubtedly be a priority for the Bengals. The 26-year-old is coming off a tremendous 2022 season, having completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,475 yards and 35 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in 16 games, in addition to rushing for 257 yards and five scores.

Burrow led the Bengals to a 12-4 record and the AFC North crown before the team was eliminated by the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on a late fourth-quarter field goal.

Aside from Burrow, wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is entering the final year of his contract, is due for a contract extension. The 24-year-old has been a star in the Cincinnati offense alongside Chase and caught 74 passes for 1,029 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games during the 2022 season.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson, defensive tackle D.J. Reader and veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd will also be due for contract extensions in 2024, so it's going to be interesting to see how Cincinnati spends to keep its current team intact.

However, if Burrow is truly working on a deal that will allow the team's key pieces to remain onboard past the 2023 season, then the Bengals will be in a good spot moving forward.