CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow sat in front of the media on Tuesday for the first time since missing his second straight Super Bowl berth by a drive at Kansas City.
The theme of the offseason will continue to be the pending richest contract in NFL history – a franchise-defining document that will shape the future of all people even remotely connected to it.
As with most moments on the field, he knew what was coming. Like most moments on the field, he also had a direct, effective plan of attack.
“I’m involved,” Burrow said when addressing his impending extension. “That’s in the works.”
The quarterback, with a flawless Q rating to match his equally flawless QB rating, knew how to handle one of the most complicated offfield ventures of his life. Just like the Bengals do: quietly.
“It’s not really something I like to expose in the media,” he said. “That’s something, just like I think they want to do business, I want to do business. Let’s keep that to ourselves.”
In their own quiet way, the Bengals and Burrow are working single-mindedly behind the scenes to keep this unprecedented winning streak going for as long as possible. The head of player staff, Duke Tobin, pointed out at the scouting combine that the contract discussion in dealing with Burrow had only served as final confirmation of why he was the number 1 of their dreams.
“Joe sees the big picture,” Tobin said. “That makes him great.”
The intricate image – with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase in the background – comes into focus.
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“I’m pretty clear about what I want in the contract and what I think is best for me and the team,” Burrow said. “So we’re on our way to achieving that.”
The contract had long felt like an inevitability. With Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson on the bench, Justin Herbert and Burrow continue to join the collection of mega-extensions set to restart the booming quarterback market. it’s coming
Essentially, Burrow said what every Bengals fan should hear: Don’t worry, I get that.
“Yeah, it’s definitely like that, whenever you have people on the team that you have to think about that that needs to be paid,” Burrow said. “They want that to be the focus and so we’re working to make that happen.”
It’s all about victory. It is important to him to have as many weapons around as possible. He appreciates these along the way.
“You have to have good players,” Burrow said. “It doesn’t matter how good your quarterback is. If you don’t have good players around you won’t have a very good team.”
An oft-repeated political principle applies here: Don’t tell me what’s important to you, show me your budget. The contract necessarily sets out how much of this contractual consideration is converted into contractual calculations.
However, there is an inherent belief with Burrow in that he has never broken public trust.
The topic discussed on Tuesday was that the negotiations will not be a controversial money grab. It won’t be as drawn out and distracting as Jackson’s ordeal in the AFC North. As with any business decision, the tone can change on the fly (or 2.5 billion of them in this case), but executing a plan that works for both parties while gaining value in the process creates more than just flexibility for future spending .
It sends a message that echoes through the locker room – specifically about ten lockers at numbers 5 and 1.
“That means he wants to win,” Chase said. “He knows what he has to do to win and he wants to win. He’s a winner. He’s not a quarterback who’s always interested in money and all that other stuff. He just wants to win and that’s the great thing about Joe.”
Like all aspects of Bengals football, Burrow sets an example for the franchise. In the crowd. In the meeting room. in the community. Lift weights. And yes, even when drafting the contract.
“It means a lot that a leader like him takes care of people like us,” Higgins said. “Of course we are talking about staying together for the long term. Hopefully we can do that and negotiate something so they can keep all three of us.”
Whether Higgins, Chase, and Burrow all fit into the larger puzzle remains to be seen. For now, just knowing that Burrow has eyes on the rest of the team is enough to explain the overall harmonious mood, despite the team being stuck in tough business decisions.
Ideally, the Bengals would like to keep Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins together despite the hefty salaries that await them. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Whatever concessions or structure Burrow gets in his lucrative contract will not be as important to the franchise’s future success as the overriding point that profits and relationships are more important here because they are more important to Burrow.
That doesn’t mean other players coming from Cincinnati need to take less or structure in a way that encourages ownership. Not at all. Jessie Bates last year is a prime example. His deal with the Bengals got hairy and personal. He didn’t show up to the offseason program until mid-camp and didn’t sign his franchise name either. But the team didn’t let Bates be tested emotionally or mentally. Burrow traveled to Las Vegas for an offseason UFC fight alongside veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzue. They kept him close, even though business pushed him away. Bates ended up having a solid season, peaking in interceptions and getting his well-deserved contract at Atlanta last March.
In the dressing room, winning and relationships took precedence over business pettiness. It doesn’t necessarily have to be beneficial for the Bengals. The message Burrow sends emphasizes, as Tobin pointed out, understanding the bigger picture.
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Win games and everyone gets paid. Win the first championship in Bengals history and earn franchise immortality.
Burrow made everything easier in Cincinnati. drawing fans. sale of goods. win games. inspire faith.
In this case, the burrow effect strikes again. A deal like this will shape the organization’s championship window for the next half decade, yet heads remain as cool as a burrow audible in third and fourth.
All is quiet, Burrow is involved. He has a plan.
(Top Photo: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)