Joe Burrow dodges question on whether he’s comfortable playing for Bengals in 2023 without a new contract

Joe Burrow entered mandatory minicamp without a contract extension from the Cincinnati Bengals. That deal will come in time, but Burrow isn’t willing to discuss the negotiations much. 

When asked if he was comfortable playing this season without a new deal, Burrow respectfully declined to give a detailed answer. The Bengals quarterback made it clear he has discussed his contract situation enough. 

“I think I’ve given you guys all the information that I’m comfortable with sharing about that process,” Burrow said to reporters Tuesday. “As far as questions go about that, I’ll probably save that for another time.”

Burrow laughed when there was a brief pause and had reporters laughing when he asked if there were no questions anymore. 

Seemingly in good spirits a deal will get done at some point, Burrow watched Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson receive massive deals over the last few months. Hurts signed a five-year extension with an average annual salary of $51 million a season, only for Jackson to surpass it 10 days after with a fifth-year deal and an average annual salary of $52 million a year. 

Burrow has taken the Bengals to consecutive AFC Championship game appearances, after finishing a season tied for second in the NFL in passing touchdowns (35), while ranking fifth in completions (414), fifth in passing yards (4,475) and sixth in passer rating (100.8). Over the last two seasons, Burrow leads the NFL in passer rating (104.8) and his third in the NFL in touchdown passes (69).

There’s a barometer for Burrow to surpass with his extension that’s coming. Just a matter of when Burrow gets a deal done. 

“I’m pretty clear on what I want in the contract and what I think is best for myself and the team,” Burrow said last month. “So we’re on the road to making that happen.”