Will the Bengals make Joe Burrow the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history? Fantasy Football Outlook

This offseason we have already seen two quarterbacks sign record-breaking contracts. First, Jalen Hurts signed a five-year contract worth $255 million. Then Lamar Jackson bested him with a five-year deal for $260 million.

Joe Burrow's rookie contract would have expired at the end of the 2023 season, but the Bengals exercised their fifth-year option. They now hope to negotiate a new deal before the 2024 season. How much could Burrow get paid?

If the contracts on Hurts and Jackson are any indication, Burrow is going to need a dump truck to deliver his cash. How much could Joe Burrow get paid? Let's take a look!

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Will Joe Burrow Be the Highest-Paid Quarterback in Football?

Joe Burrow is a better quarterback than both Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson. Burrow graded at over 90.0 in both of the past two seasons, according to PFF, and his completion percentage of 68.3% ranked second in the league.

All analysts agree: Burrow is one of the top three QBs in the NFL. Some put Josh Allen ahead of Burrow. Others put Burrow second ahead of Allen. All put Burrow ahead of Jackson. Most put him ahead of Hurts.

SpoTrac projects Burrow for a six-year, $322.6 million contract, which would average $53.8 million per year. That would be a new benchmark for most average annual value (AAV), and it would be the second-largest contract in total value, behind only Mahomes. Seeing as the market value for quarterback contracts keeps rising, it is most likely that Burrow will make more than Jackson and Hurts if he pushes for his worth.

Should Fantasy Players Draft Joe Burrow?

Burrow is a set-it-and-forget-it QB1 in fantasy football. In each season of his career, he has increased his fantasy scoring. Last season, he finished as the QB4, and the year before, he finished as the QB8.

In 2021, Burrow relied on a league-leading average depth of target. In 2022, he threw for fewer yards per attempt but he had 86 more passing attempts and limited his interceptions. If Burrow attempts over 600 passes again and can get back to over 8.0 yards per attempt, he would be approaching Mahomes-level totals for passing yards.

Acquiring Joe Burrow in fantasy will cost you, though. He is being drafted as the QB4 in National Fantasy Football Championship drafts. That puts him in the late second round.

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