Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow signed a four-year, $36 million contract earlier this week.
And Burrow doesn't plan to spend a cent of that $36 million any time soon.
Burrow explained this while speaking to reporters on Friday (h/t Alex Chippin of theScore), adding that he's going to "live off the marketing money and let that accrue in my bank account."
His $36 million contract included a $23.9 million signing bonus, and the entire deal is guaranteed. The former LSU Tigers star has several endorsements deals, including ones with Nike and Buffalo Wild Wings.
So yes, Burrow will be set from a financial standpoint over the long run. And as his career progresses, the endorsement and NFL contracts will only get more and more lucrative.
Burrow's rookie contract includes a fifth-year option for the 2024 season. But the likes of Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Patrick Mahomes wound up signing major long-term extensions following their first three NFL seasons.
So theoretically, Burrow could sign a massive contract extension following the 2022 season, when he'll be 25 years of age. Mahomes signed a record-setting 10-year, $503 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month - the richest contract ever for a professional athlete.
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If Burrow reaches his full potential, it's easy to believe that his next contract will hit well over $200 million. After Mahomes, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan carries the richest NFL deal ever at $150 million (for five years, signed in 2018).
Other young quarterbacks such as Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott (he's playing the 2020 season under the franchise tag) are in line for major extensions worth $200 million or more down the road.
Burrow joins a Cincinnati team that has missed the playoffs in each of the last four years, but he should perform nicely on a team that includes A.J. Green, Auden Tate, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd plus savvy offensive-minded head coach Zac Taylor.
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