Burrow signed a five-year $275 million contract extension ahead of the 2023 season. Dylan Buell / Getty Images
June 9, 2026 Updated 3:43 pm EDT
Nearly every major quarterback deal in the NFL gets restructured at some point, but the Cincinnati Bengals had not touched Joe Burrow’s five-year, $275 million extension since the day he signed it in September of 2023 — until now.
Cincinnati has added about $10 million in 2026 cap space by restructuring Burrow’s contract, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Tuesday. The move spreads out a portion of his base salary over the rest of his deal. Burrow is signed through the 2029 season.
The Bengals had hoped to get through this offseason without needing to kick any of Burrow’s money down the line, de facto general manager Duke Tobin said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. His tune changed dramatically, however, following the April trade for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Bengals ownership didn’t expect to take on a contract of that magnitude that late in the offseason and were left with minimal cap space — the third-lowest figure in the league, according to Over The Cap.
“In terms of where we are with the cap,” assistant general manager Steven Radicevic said after the trade, “I’ve never been in that situation since I’ve been here.”
Radicevic has been with the Bengals for 15 years.
Restructuring Burrow’s deal now allows the Bengals to operate with a typical amount of space during the season. The Bengals now have $17 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap, which ranks them 18th in the league.
Cincinnati is also negotiating with multiple young players. Cornerbacks DJ Turner and Dax Hill, edge Myles Murphy, running back Chase Brown and safety Jordan Battle are all extension-eligible starters in the final year of their rookie deals.
With Burrow restructured, the Bengals also signed second-round pick Cashius Howell on Tuesday. Cincinnati’s entire seven-man draft class is now signed.
Jun 10, 2026
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