Could Joe Burrow’s contract extension be a percentage of the salary cap?

Joe Burrow hasn’t just transformed the Cincinnati Bengals, but as someone that has lived in Cincinnati their entire life, it feels like the appearance of the superstar quarterback transformed the city. The impact Burrow has had reaches farther than football as well.

What does that mean in terms of keeping the potential MVP in the Queen City? Well, while some expect Burrow to take a team-friendly deal, or at least structure it that way, the reality is that he could become the league’s highest-paid player.

Burrow’s contract negotiations could be the first of their kind.

Players like Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson reset the quarterback market, and Burrow’s deal is expected to have a similar wave throughout the league, one which has put heavy reliance on the position.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio spoke on what a potential deal for Burrow could look like, and he introduced a concept that has yet to been done.

“One of these guys is gonna get a deal that pays him a percentage of the salary cap and that’s fair..that’s the way to do it. We talk about leaving enough money aside for the rest of the team…if anybody’s gonna do it, it’s gonna be Joe Burrow. And if any owner is going to do it, it’s gonna be Mike Brown. He’s been that contrarian that does things the league doesn’t want him to do,” Florio said on the Pat McAfee show via Bengals.com’s Chris Roling.

Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, threw a career-high 35 touchdowns last season and had just 12 interceptions. He earned his first Pro Bowl appearance as well. During his second season in the league, he led the league in completion percentage too.

The 26-year-old has made the AFC Championship Game or Super Bowl in both seasons in which he has ended the year healthy. Expectations are high, and his contract extension will likely be one of the largest in NFL history.

What Florio noted is an outlier scenario, but it is one that makes sense for both parties.