From Athens to the NFL's highest paid QB: Inside Joe Burrow's journey
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow signed the biggest deal in franchise and NFL history on Saturday strategically wearing an Athens High School football shirt.
Why?
“I did it for a reason,” Burrow said. “I wanted to make sure I wore this shirt because this is kind of where it all started.”
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Burrow, an Athens, Ohio native, and the Bengals made things official on Saturday morning just a few hours before the team was to leave for Cleveland for their Week 1 matchup against the Browns. He’s now the highest paid player in NFL history on an annual basis making $55 million per year. The extension is worth a total of $275 million for five years with $219.01 million guaranteed.
It all started back at the NFL combine in 2020 for the Bengals and Burrow. From his first meeting with head coach Zac Taylor, Burrow knew he wanted to play for Cincinnati which owned the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. He also was hoping the Bengals would draft him so he could move back to Ohio where he felt he had “unfinished business” in the state.
The Bengals went on to take him first overall and in one decision, the franchise completely changed. Since arriving in Cincinnati, Burrow has taken the Bengals to the Super Bowl, earned two trips to the AFC championship game – winning in 2021, won two AFC North titles and is now viewed as one of the best teams in the NFL.
Because of the success and excitement surrounding Burrow, Cincinnati’s fan base is reenergized. In 2019, the Bengals finished last in fan attendance with just 72% of the stadium filled. Three years later, the Bengals now have a waiting list to get season tickets at Paycor Stadium.
“My father always said that in the NFL, the quarterback is like the key to your car,” said Bengals owner Mike Brown. “You can have a great car, but you need a key to get the car going and to operate it at a high level. We feel that we have a good one in Joe.”
Burrow is entering his fourth season in the NFL and according to the 26-year-old, it was important for him to have this deal done before the start of the upcoming season. He was involved in the process from start to finish. There were specific things – he was reluctant to share specific details – that he really wanted in his next contract and the Bengals gave it to him.
Executive vice president Katie Blackburn negotiated the contract and was steadfast in her approach the whole time saying the franchise was going to give him what he wanted. It’s a mutual partnership and one that’s worked out for both sides because Burrow will be in Cincinnati for a long time and that’s what is most important to him.
It was the moment after Burrow took pen to paper when everything really set in. Walking out of the office, it was time for reflection.
“You just reflect on everything you've been through,” Burrow said. “The NFL has kind of been where I've played my best ball. What people don't see is all the years before that when you're not playing. The grind of the day-to-day when you're not playing is really tough in college. And looking back on that, those three years that I didn't play probably prepared me more so for this moment than anything. And you don't even really realize it at the time. But I learned a lot about myself, a lot about life.”
Burrow’s journey to where he is now hasn’t been one without bumps in the road. He wouldn’t change anything that’s happened to him, though. The adversity he’s faced has shaped him.
His collegiate career at Ohio State didn’t go as planned. He never saw the field. The Buckeyes opted to start Dwayne Haskins over Burrow ultimately leading to him transferring to LSU.
Failure at any level eats away at Burrow.
“My one athletic failure so far in my opinion is my time at Ohio State,” he said. “I didn't get to play. And so to come back and kind of redeem myself in that way has been important to me.”
Just as it seemed that Burrow made it through one of the hardest times of his life, an even more challenging obstacle was awaiting him in the NFL. He just didn’t know it yet but because of what he learned about himself through the first roadblock, he was able to push through and come out even better from it.
Burrow tore his ACL in the middle of his first NFL season. Before he could even blink, his rookie season was over. It was going to be a long road to get back but he never doubted himself. It’s not who he is.
“I think I've kind of always been that way, but really honed that in, in those three years that I was talking about at Ohio State, when things never just felt like nothing was ever going my way those three years. And you really learn a lot about yourself and you have to be mentally tough in that situation, otherwise you're not gonna come out the other side. I continued to, to improve during that time. I had great coaches and great teammates around me to, you know, really during that time leaned on relationships in the locker room to, to help get through that and cherish those relationships to this day because of that.”
In typical Burrow fashion, he didn’t celebrate in over the top fashion. He truly means it when he says he’s only worried about how to beat the Browns on Sunday.
Burrow acknowledges that expectations on the outside will likely rise given the magnitude of his contract. But it’s not going to change him – nothing will.
“My standard has always been my standard and I'm gonna continue to prepare that way and play that way,” Burrow said. “You're gonna be able to learn from a lot of different reps, whether it's practice or the game. I'm gonna continue to go through my process.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow talks new contract before NFL Week 1
