Cincinnati Bengals Should Not Restructure Joe Burrow Contract

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now just the final stage of free agency remains before training camp begins. The Cincinnati Bengals have made several win-now moves to improve their chances of ending the three-year playoff drought next season. 

General manager Duke Tobin has done just about everything he can do in terms of being committed to winning this year. He signed Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, Jonathan Allen, and Kyle Dugger in free agency, re-signed Dalton Risner, extended Orlando Brown Jr., and traded for Dexter Lawrence. All of these moves are excellent ways to put the Bengals in position to win the AFC North for the first time since 2022. 

With the draft behind them, there are still a few different moves the Bengals can make. They did a great job of filling the holes in the offensive line and pass rush, but they still could use some help in the linebacker and cornerback departments. When looking at the remaining available free agents, there are several options for veterans who may be interested in joining a Super Bowl-aspiring team. 

For cornerbacks, the standout names include Marshon Lattimore, Trevon Diggs, and L’Jarius Sneed, with other veterans like Tre’Davious White, Adoree’ Jackson, and Rasual Douglas. As for the linebackers, there are options like Bobby Wagner, Lavonte David, and Matt Milano who could provide stability and leadership. 

The problem with filling these two holes, at this point, is that the Bengals only possess just over $7 million in cap space. There is an option to give them some more leeway, though, and that involves restructuring superstar quarterback Joe Burrow’s contract. 

Burrow still has four years left of his 5-year, $275 million deal he signed. The problem with the Bengals’ current situation is that his contract is already backloaded. His base salary is just over $25 and $27 million over the next two seasons, which jumps to $35.5 and $48 million over the final two years. This means the rest of the money is allocated to signing bonuses or team options, allowing the Bengals to have more immediate cap space for the next two or three years. 

With this in mind, there really is no logical way for Tobin to restructure Burrow’s contract without destroying the team’s ability to contend in three or four years. They could save enough money to maybe sign one or two more impactful pieces for 2026, but the likelihood of them being needle-movers to win a Super Bowl this season is little to none. 

It’s worth mentioning that three of the Bengals’ key young pieces are all set to be unrestricted free agents next season as well. Cornerbacks Daxton Hill and D.J. Turner, along with edge rusher Myles Murphy, all will be finishing their rookie contracts after this season. If the Bengals are too reckless with money for this season, it will limit their availability for the next several years, and these three will all be deserving of substantial upgrades in annual salaries, ones that the Bengals simply will not be able to satisfy. 

After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, their goal should be to first get back to the postseason and prove that they can compete with anyone. If they go all-in for this season only, it could set the franchise back for the next five years. At the end of the day, the teams that are thriving the most have inexpensive quarterbacks or supporting casts. With the Bengals having the highest-paid quarterback and wide receiver tandem in the NFL, they will be limited in all other aspects, and they are starting to pay the price for it.