First Overall Pick Joe Burrow Signs $36 Million Rookie Contract With Cincinnati Bengals
The first overall pick from the 2020 draft is now under contract.
On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow agreed to a four-year rookie contract worth $36 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The deal carries a $23.9 million signing bonus.
With Burrow now signed, 30 of the 32 first-round picks from the 2020 draft have signed their rookie contracts. Only Jordyn Brooks (27th overall to the Seattle Seahawks) and Isaiah Wilson (29th overall to the Tennessee Titans) remain unsigned.
A plethora of first-round picks have signed their rookie deals over the past two weeks as training camp draws closer. There will be no preseason due to health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so the 2020 rookies will have little time to prepare for the start of the regular season.
Still, it was imperative for the teams to sign their rookies as soon as possible with the regular season looming. The vast majority of rookies are now under contract.
Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins (the 33rd overall pick), is the only Bengals rookie who remains unsigned.
RELATED: Michael Thomas & George Kittle Top "Madden 21" Wide Receiver, Tight End Ratings
Burrow's draft value skyrocketed following a historically dominant season at LSU. The Heisman Trophy winner took home several other major awards, and he led the Tigers to the National Championship in his final college season.
Many scouts and analysts regarded Ohio State defensive end Chase Young as the best prospect in this draft, but the Bengals were desperate for a quarterback after deciding to move on from veteran and Pro Bowler Andy Dalton - who served as their starter from 2011 to 2019. Young went second overall to Washington.
The 23-year-old Burrow is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterback prospects in NFL history. He'll be tasked with fixing a Bengals team that has missed the playoffs in each of the last four years now; a club that hasn't won a single playoff game since 1990.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmrKifp8G0ecSnq56qpJa2r7nEp6toop%2BaeqPB0aumsGWSmruorcusZJqfopqybsDOZmpvZZ2eua21zqdkq6efoLamecKopa2qkZjBcA%3D%3D