I've got an uneasy feeling...

[*rfaulk34*]

(02-14-2025, 01:16 PM)jj22 Wrote: I'm not defending the FO and they have to modernize their contract approach even if it means none of the great grand kids have college funds anymore and their inheritance is wiped out. We get it. They are a mom and pop shop. This team isn't a tax write-off like it is for the other 31 teams, but times are changing and aren't going back. They have to either adapt or sell.

But Burrow has no say in any of this after the fact. He had his chance to do what he hopes Chase and Tee do. And we see what he did when he had his chance, so why should he expect different from them?

Why would he take less on that first big contract before he's seen what the team will do going forward, when he can take the money then manipulate it as many times as they want going forward, to help the team?

Who in their right mind would trust the Bengals to "do the right thing" when it comes to selling out to win? That initial contract doesn't keep the Bengals from doing anything going forward, unless they're unwilling to do things other teams do to succeed. 

Every (almost) QB likes/wants to see their name up there that one time because they know the contract isn't set in stone. Look at all these QBs who didn't take less to help the team when their time came.



People always want to point to Mahomes as taking less or "doing what was necessary" to ensure other players get paid in the future, but it wasn't because he took less money, it was because of the structure. 



Mahomes had the second largest growth rate percentage of all these QBs. Now, tbh, you can't look at Joe and say he only took a 5% jump because 4 QBs signed new contracts in '23. His jump from Rodgers in in '22 was 10%, which was still only the 5th highest jump. 



When it comes to Joe, Ja'Marr and Tee's deals, i've always wondered why they don't just structure all the contracts so the cap hit is balanced for each year of the total contract. First you set each contract by length, total value, guarantees, etc., then you structure each year so the total number doesn't hurt the cap in any individual year. Typically, you see a contract that is light the first couple years, then increases in later years. Once you have the base set, why can't you manipulate the numbers so that the bottom line for each year is similar for the duration of the contracts. 

So, instead of the current NFL contract structures you would have something like this. (these aren't actual numbers, just an example). 

Burrow - 20m, 25m, 29m, 45m, 25m (ftr, the Burrow contract would need to be much longer, ala Mahomes, where Chase and Tee would be 4/5 years each)
J Chase - 25m, 10m, 20m, 10m, 25m
Higgins - 10m, 20m, 6m, 10m, 20m

Propose a contract to each individual player and show them how it fits with the other two. Come to an agreement on each individual contract, then structure the payments so that each year only gives them a similar bottom line for the cap hit and live happily ever after, winning many super bowls. 

Another thing this does is, since they always want to try to re-invent the wheel, they announce all 3 contracts at once and set a new standard on how to sign big money targets without hurting the cap. Who knows, they might even win a Nobel prize.