The Cincinnati Bengals rebuilt their defense during the offseason, but it came at a cost. Their budget was hit and now restructuring quarterback Joe Burrow’s contract looks like the best option to open their cap room.

Joe Burrow’s contract amounts to an astonishing $275 million for a five-year extension. His base salary is at $25.25 million plus a signing bonus of $10 million and a cap hit of $48 million.

To sign more players and to build a strong roster ahead of the 2026 NFL season, the Bengals must redefine Burrow’s contract.

When asked about Burrow’s contract restructure, de facto GM Duke Tobin said, “Those are things we’re working through after the draft. We’ve layered in challenges, but we’re up to them. We do it because we have the opportunity to add the right people and the right players. Those are challenges the locker room isn’t interested in. They’re interested in having the best team possible. That’s what we’re trying to give them.”

Tobin has indeed spent a pretty penny on building the best team possible. One of the Bengals’ power moves was bringing in tackle Dexter Lawrence for a one-year $28M extension as an impact player to their defensive line.

Contracts with players like Boye Mafe (three-year, $60M), Jonathan Allen (two-year, $25M) and Bryan Cook (three-year, $40.25M) have further exhausted the cap space.

The Bengals also need a linebacker, preferably someone who has strong field awareness. Additionally, they have to prepare extension contracts for Dax Hill, DJ Turner and Myles Murphy.

By restructuring Burrow’s contract, the Bengals would be able to bring in young defensive talents and some veteran presence on the team.

However, Burrow is not the only one whose contract would have to be modified. As a franchise that is already over the cap by 23.1 million, it must also consider restructuring deals of players like Bryan Cook, Cordale Flott and Darnell Wright.

With the front office trying to pull together a near-perfect roster for Burrow in his prime, it seems nothing else can go wrong for the Bengals. 

Burrow’s views on his contract restructure in the midst of roster moves

Speaking to reporters during the last offseason, Joe Burrow said that he’s open to the restructuring. He believes that doing so will help the Bengals retain star players like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. 

Burrow had some ideas as well for the front office, which would allow the team to retain its core players and improve the defense. 

“You could convert some of the money to a signing bonus, which will lower the cap hit. You can push some money to the back end of the contract also,” Burrow said.

The franchise’s future depends on its ability to manage its finances and achieve sustained success. Only time will tell if the Bengals decide to go ahead and restructure Burrow’s contract and if it was worth it.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit