After an Injury Scare, the Bengals Should Give Joe Burrow His Massive Contract Immediately

It is nearly impossible to fathom how much the quarterback has meant to this franchise the past three years. The team should do right by him this minute.

It’s no secret that Joe Burrow was about to sign a massive contract extension—in some way, shape or form—before the Bengals’ star quarterback went down during Thursday's practice with what looked like a consequential injury. And now the injury appears to be serious with Bengals coach Zac Taylor telling reporters Friday afternoon that his starting quarterback will miss "several weeks" with a calf strain.

It’s also no secret that, despite a far more complicated and nuanced reality, there is a perception that Cincinnati is not a generous, player-friendly franchise. This perception, which, again, can be pushed back on accurately, can also solidify someone’s opinion of a franchise without understanding what is inside its soul.

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And so, here’s a solution to the problem for good and forever, a real two-birds-with-one-stone maneuver: Early in Burrow’s rehabilitation process from the calf strain, hand him the contract anyway. Give him what he deserves after what he’s meant to this franchise in such a short period of time. Award him for the trip to the Super Bowl, the sudden relevance, the spike in merchandise sales, the draw for free agents and the patience with which he has handled the delicate situation of being a star close to where he grew up. Take care of him the way he’s taken care of you.

The Bengals need to take care of Burrow the way he has taken care of them :: Cincinnati Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK

Don’t send the thing back to your actuaries. Don’t bring him back to the bargaining table. Don’t hammer him or punish him for the ACL tear he suffered back in 2020, in part, while standing in front of a defensive firing squad week in and week out and compound that with a nebulous assessment that he is “injury prone.” Burrow had every chance in the world, with a handful of quarterback-hungry franchises atop the 2020 draft, to pull an Eli Manning, and instead he bro-hugged the franchise no one wanted a part of at the time. It’s something that, one could assume, means a great deal to him and his Ohio family.

It’s a gesture that the Bengals can reciprocate right now.

The initial freakout when the video clip of Burrow’s injury circulated on social media says all it needs to say about his meaning to the franchise and the NFL. It was, for the better part of an hour, pure darkness. The Bengals went from Super Bowl contenders to third place at best in the AFC North, depending on how deeply they waded into the Carson Wentz waters. That is a best-case scenario, by the way.

When I was reporting on the Bengals leading up to Super Bowl LVI, and for an eventual magazine cover story we did on Burrow in August 2022, there were stories of owner Mike Brown’s benevolence that were omnipresent. He would pay the deductible on someone’s medical bill or take care of the charges levied by the hospital if an employee just had a baby. If someone’s house was demolished due to a weather event, he would see to its reconstruction. This is why I don’t think the Bengals have earned their reputation. They’ve also been one of the highest-spending teams in free agency since coach Zac Taylor arrived.

But anyone in the public image game knows that grand changes can require grand gestures.

If the Bengals leave this lingering, they will risk alienating the best thing to happen to their franchise … ever. Waiting until Burrow can return to the practice field sets up the completely avoidable scenario where Burrow (wisely) delays his return to the practice field in lieu of a contract.

Try to draw up a list of people who can replace Burrow right now. Try drawing up a list of people who can Avatar an offense that, coaches say, is complex on the levels of what Peyton Manning used to do. Try to picture the fourth quarter of a tight playoff game against the Titans on the road and wonder what [insert nomadic backup here] would have done after being sacked nine times.

I realize how laughable this is from an economical perspective and how silly it might sound to those of us who like to play Real GM on Twitter every day. But we’re trying to have a conversation about love and respect, two things that, in the NFL, are conveyed through one thing: the allotment of real, guaranteed dollars.

Don’t wait for Burrow to hand over a clean bill of health before showing him that respect.