Five years after transferring from Ohio State to LSU for the opportunity to be a starting quarterback, Joe Burrow is now the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Going into his fourth year with the Cincinnati Bengals, the former Ohio State quarterback signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension on Thursday night. The contract includes $219.01 million in guaranteed money and averages out to $55 million per year, the highest average annual salary that any NFL player has ever received.
His contract extension came just one day after his friend and former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa – who also shares an agent with Burrow – became the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history with a five-year, $170 million contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers.
Burrow, who spent three years at Ohio State as a backup quarterback and graduated from OSU before transferring to LSU in 2018, has quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks since the Bengals selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. A Heisman Trophy and national championship winner during his final season at LSU, Burrow led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in his second NFL season and back to the AFC Championship Game last year, when he also made the Pro Bowl for the first time.
Even though Burrow didn’t finish his career at Ohio State, he has maintained a positive connection with the program, and his contract extension was celebrated by Ohio State general manager Mark Pantoni and others affiliated with OSU on Wednesday night.
Joe started from the bottom, now he HERE!! pic.twitter.com/Urx0Bawgeh
— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) September 8, 2023
JOE MONEY!!!!!
— Cardale Jones (@CJ1two) September 8, 2023
I see all this money through my OHIO STATE BUCKEYES https://t.co/4OT20sWyMy
— Devin Jordan (@CoachJordan82) September 8, 2023
