Will Burrow restructure come next?

[Luvnit2]

It depends on the structure on Chase and Tee contracts, but very likely team gains cap space in 2025.

Looking around the league, I see MaHomes cap hit is only 28 million in 2025. He signed a huge contract a long time ago and team has yet to have his cap hit at 45 million APY. They do it through void years and bonuses paid to compensate for base salary.

Should Bengals restructure JB in 2025 or wait for future years?

It will be interesting to see the structure for Tee and Jamar. The guaranteed money is very important for cap purposed. We know Tee has 100% for years 1 and 2, question becomes if he has any guaranteed money after 2026? The lack f the guarantee also helps the team need for cash on hand for the gauranteed portion. The lower the guarantee, the less money they need in escrow for the contract.

[phil413]

(03-17-2025, 12:35 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: It depends on the structure on Chase and Tee contracts, but very likely team gains cap space in 2025.

Looking around the league, I see MaHomes cap hit is only 28 million in 2025. He signed a huge contract a long time ago and team has yet to have his cap hit at 45 million APY. They do it through void years and bonuses paid to compensate for base salary.

Should Bengals restructure JB in 2025 or wait for future years?

It will be interesting to see the structure for Tee and Jamar. The guaranteed money is very important for cap purposed. We know Tee has 100% for years 1 and 2, question becomes if he has any guaranteed money after 2026? The lack f the guarantee also helps the team need for cash on hand for the gauranteed portion. The lower the guarantee, the less money they need in escrow for the contract.

It would make sense but Tobin sounded surprisingly against it in the presser.  I was awaiting more of a political answer like everything being on the table or wait and see or something.

[*Au165*]

They don't need to for cap reasons, so I would assume no because that would require them to do another large cash payout which is a bigger issue then the cap. Depending on Tee/Chase deal structure their hits should be coming down so we should have around $30 million in cap left still. Even getting a Trey deal done, his cap number shouldn't balloon much meaning they have everything they need to still grab a guard and a second pass rusher.

[*rfaulk34*]

(03-17-2025, 12:35 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: It depends on the structure on Chase and Tee contracts, but very likely team gains cap space in 2025.

Looking around the league, I see MaHomes cap hit is only 28 million in 2025. He signed a huge contract a long time ago and team has yet to have his cap hit at 45 million APY. They do it through void years and bonuses paid to compensate for base salary.

Should Bengals restructure JB in 2025 or wait for future years?

It will be interesting to see the structure for Tee and Jamar. The guaranteed money is very important for cap purposed. We know Tee has 100% for years 1 and 2, question becomes if he has any guaranteed money after 2026? The lack f the guarantee also helps the team need for cash on hand for the gauranteed portion. The lower the guarantee, the less money they need in escrow for the contract.

Based on Chase and Tee's potential numbers, i'd probably wait till the end of next year to redo Burrow, so that his lower numbers offset their rising numbers. 

[Luvnit2]

(03-17-2025, 12:43 PM)Au165 Wrote: They don't need to for cap reasons, so I would assume no because that would require them to do another large cash payout which is a bigger issue then the cap. Depending on Tee/Chase deal structure their hits should be coming down so we should have around $30 million in cap left still. Even getting a Trey deal done, his cap number shouldn't balloon much meaning they have everything they need to still grab a guard and a second pass rusher.

Actually they could just add a couple of voids years to lower Joe's cap number. No cash needed. They could also add void years to both Tee and Chase though to lower theircap hits not just in 2025, but also 2026.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(03-17-2025, 12:57 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Actually they coud just add a couple of voids years to lower Joe's cap number. No cash needed. They could also add void years to both Tee and Chase though to lower theircap hits not just in 2025, but also 2026.

That's not how that works. Void years only push back the accounting via spreading signing/restructure bonuses (which are paid immediately) over multiple fake years, it doesn't push back the actual cash.

- - - - -

Example: You have Burrow on a 1yr/$42m (all base salary) deal in 2025... you want to create space so you restructure and turn $40m of that $42m into a signing bonus that you equally prorate over 2025 and a void year you added during the restructure for 2026. You have now lowered his 2025 cap hit to $22m (the $2m base salary left plus the $20m signing bonus) and in 2026 he won't be under contract because the year will void but you'll still take a $20m cap hit.

You still have to actually pay him that $40m right then and there in advance in 2025, it's only delayed in accounting terms.

[Luvnit2]

(03-17-2025, 01:03 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: That's not how that works. Void years only push back the accounting via spreading signing/restructure bonuses (which are paid immediately) over multiple fake years, it doesn't push back the actual cash.

- - - - -

Example: You have Burrow on a 1yr/$42m (all base salary) deal in 2025... you want to create space so you restructure and turn $40m of that $42m into a signing bonus that you equally prorate over 2025 and a void year you added during the restructure for 2026. You have now lowered his 2025 cap hit to $22m (the $2m base salary left plus the $20m signing bonus) and in 2026 he won't be under contract because the year will void but you'll still take a $20m cap hit.

You still have to actually pay him that $40m right then and there in advance in 2025, it's only delayed in accounting terms.

I am not pushing back cash for 2025, it is already there. I am just not adding any time and pushing the existing contract back so the actual cap hits much later. It is exactly how adding void years works. to push cap (not cash) into later years of the contract.

I am not talking about a signing bonus cab be delayed to future years on a schedule the team uses. A bonus cap hit can be used in year 1 of the contract a portion or what year (s) to take the cap hit.

Humphrey of the Ravens just had his contract restructured. They added no cash, just changed the contract language adding void years so lowered his 2025 cap hit.

This explains it well for a Bills OL.

https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/253424-since-this-applies-to-the-bills-a-lot-now-can-someone-explain-void-years/

[*Au165*]

(03-17-2025, 01:12 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I am not pushing back cash for 2025, it is already there. I am just not adding any time and pushing the existing contract back so the actual cap hits much later. It is exactly how adding void years works. to push cap (not cash) into later years of the contract.

I am not talking about a signing bonus cab be delayed to future years on a schedule the team uses. A bonus cap hit can be used in year 1 of the contract a portion or what year (s) to take the cap hit.

Humphrey of the Ravens just had his contract restructured. They added no cash, just changed the contract language adding void years so lowered his 2025 cap hit.

Pretty sure Burrow has maxed out how far we can prorate his signing bonus already, so I don't actually think we can use additional void years in this case.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(03-17-2025, 01:12 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Humphrey of the Ravens just had his contract restructured. They added no cash, just changed the contract language adding void years so lowered his 2025 cap hit.

Again, that's still more money RIGHT NOW.

Humphrey got $16.74m of his 2025 base salary turned into a signing bonus, and signing bonuses are paid out now.

He was set to make $18m in base salary in 2025. That means he was set to get a $1,000,000 check every week of the 2025 season, roughly Sept 2025-Jan 2026 for Week 1-18. 

NOW he gets a big lump of $16.74m in March 2025 and ~$69,722 each week for Week 1-18 of the 2025 season spanning Sept-Jan. It is not increasing the total they'd have to spend over the 2025 season, but it's more cash needing to be given RIGHT NOW in a lump sum rather than starting 6 months from now over an 18 week span while money from games are coming in.

[Luvnit2]

(03-17-2025, 01:40 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Again, that's still more money RIGHT NOW.

Humphrey got $16.74m of his 2025 base salary turned into a signing bonus, and signing bonuses are paid out now.

He was set to make $18m in base salary in 2025. That means he was set to get a $1,000,000 check every week of the 2025 season, roughly Sept 2025-Jan 2026 for Week 1-18. 

NOW he gets a big lump of $16.74m in March 2025 and ~$69,722 each week for Week 1-18 of the 2025 season spanning Sept-Jan. It is not increasing the total they'd have to spend over the 2025 season, but it's more cash needing to be given RIGHT NOW in a lump sum rather than starting 6 months from now over an 18 week span while money from games are coming in.

You are correct, Burrow would paid early if the base is converted, but the cash spend in 2025 would not change and we can pick up 20 million in cap savings in 2025 according to this explanation.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bengals/comments/1i0gtmm/the_burrow_contract_and_what_a_restructure_would/

They could do the same thing in 2026 and what KC seems to do every year toget cap relief.

They can also add as many as 5 voidable years to the Chase and Higgins contracts and save tons of cap space the next few years. Burrow's contract is set up to make it easy to spread out over time. They can do a lot more with Chase and Higgins. It does have risks, but they are both very young.

[Destro]

Will trade the Batmobile for a Lumina.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Burrow has said he is willing.

The question is, is Brown? If willing, is he able?

Cap wise, it makes all the sense in the world.

In terms of the roster? Only if it gives you the ability to sign guys we otherwise couldn't AND we really like.

[phil413]

Just bumping the last Burrow threat for appreciation of his contract. With Purdy's new deal of 53M per year, he joins Lawrence, Tua, Herbert, Dak and Goff as overpaid QBs making almost the same as Burrow per year. Good grief, can you imaging being attached to prime Dalton at 50M for the next 4-5yrs? Have to love having one of the best in Burrow.

[*michaelsean*]

And add more cap space to 2025 that they have to spend? Punkin has to already be exhausted.

[TecmoBengals]

Burrow should only restructure if it comes with an immediate guarantee of it being spent on a free agent or locking up an existing talent.

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

It would have made a ton more sense before FA when that $$$ could have been infused back into the team.

That is still possible (Scherff, Risner, Hernandez, Blackmon, Simmons, Gilmore, etc).

But if I am Burrow, I do not agree until Trey is locked up. He's already said he is willing. But Brown is too cheap/doesn't have the cash flow to do it.

[WeezyBengal]

When's the last time this front office strategically restructured a players contract for the teams benefit? Not for salary cutting reasons.

There's your answer.

[007BengalsFan]

(05-18-2025, 10:51 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: Burrow should only restructure if it comes with an immediate guarantee of it being spent on a free agent or locking up an existing talent.

You do realize the restructure that is being talked about is not a paycut?  The restructure would benefit Burrow because he would get paid more of his money upfront.

[TecmoBengals]

(05-19-2025, 07:45 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: You do realize the restructure that is being talked about is not a paycut?  The restructure would benefit Burrow because he would get paid more of his money upfront.

No, I did not have this realization.

[NUGDUKWE]

Apparently they quietly had Volson take a payout last week. Not shocking after Moss and Stone just seems curious there was no news that I had seen.