BENGALS STAR JOE BURROW REVEALS HE'S "GOING THROUGH A LOT" ON AND OFF THE FIELD

The Bengals walked out of snowy Highmark Stadium with a 39-34 loss, but Joe Burrow’s postgame tone hit harder than the scoreboard.  The Cincinnati Star opened a rare window into his mindset. The Bills delivered chaos, but Burrow delivered honesty. And for a quarterback built on steady control, that honesty raised eyebrows across the league.

In the post-game conference, Burrow said, “There are just a lot of things going on right now. A lot of things are going on.”

Joe Burrow Admits the Weight He’s Carrying As the Bills’ Late Storm Deepens the Bengals’ Concerns

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow speaks at a press conference at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 25, 2025.

Burrow didn’t hide from the moment. His four-touchdown day looked sharp on paper, but he sounded like someone fighting a bigger battle than a December road game. He dealt with wrist surgery last year, turf toe recovery this season, and the mental drain that comes with constant rehab. Meanwhile, Sunday’s collapse in Orchard Park only added to that burden. The Bills flipped the game with three touchdowns in 4:30, and Burrow could only watch the stadium roar back to life.

Then the rhythm he built early vanished. Cincinnati converted third downs at an absurd rate, going 10 of 12, yet the defense cracked at the worst possible time. Burrow admitted that those huge swings test even the toughest players. One late interception came from Christian Benford’s pick-six, while another popped loose to AJ Epenesa after a deflection – both swings changed everything, just like the sudden blows he’s felt before in past seasons.

Even when he praised Buffalo’s defensive plays, the exhaustion in his voice stood out. He sounded reflective. Drained. Still competitive, but no longer masking the grind. Reported comments this week from Yahoo Sports reinforce that tone. Burrow said he has “been through more than most” and emphasized how important it is to rediscover joy. That mindset surfaced again after this loss, especially as Cincinnati slipped deeper in the AFC race.

Still, the Bills counted on Josh Allen dashing with his feet to finish the rally. That 40-yard sprint lit up the crowd like lightning. A clutch 17-yard scramble on third down, way behind schedule, shut the door for the Bengals. When Buffalo celebrated loudly, Burrow stood before the media, not tossing stats around, yet revealing something deeper instead. The league caught sight of a starting QB battling sore muscles, team stress, and the mental grind of a year that’s taken every ounce he’s got.

- Heena Singh

LARGEST QUARTERBACK CONTRACTS IN TERMS OF AAV

 

HIGHEST-PAID QBS | GUARANTEED MONEY

 

HIGHEST-PAID NFL PLAYERS: MOST GUARANTEED MONEY AT EVERY POSITION

 Who are the NFL's highest-paid players at every position? Plenty of record-setting deals have been made in the past year -- the quarterback position has been reset with a new highest-paid player four times. First Jalen Hurts, then Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert and finally Joe Burrow became the highest-paid player in NFL history as the 2023 season kicked off.

In August, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson reset the tight end market and San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa became the highest-paid defensive player. In June, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson shattered the record for most guaranteed money given to a non-quarterback on offense, getting $110 million guaranteed.

We tracked the best-paid players at 16 different positions -- including long-snapper -- and will keep the numbers updated as more records get broken. To get the full picture on the top earners in this league, we sorted positions by two categories, which in a few cases have the same player at No. 1:

Three-year average (APY)

Total guaranteed money

Salary information courtesy of Roster Management System.

Let's start with Burrow and the highest-paid quarterbacks:

Quarterback

Highest three-year APY:

1. Joe Burrow, $62.9 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2030)

2. Jared Goff (DET), $57.3 million

3. Trevor Lawrence (JAX), $55 million

4. Justin Herbert (LAC), $53.3 million

5. Lamar Jackson (BAL), $52 million

6. Jalen Hurts (PHI), $51 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Deshaun Watson, $230 million

Signed: March 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Joe Burrow (CIN), $219.01 million

3. Patrick Mahomes (KC), $208.1 million

4. Trevor Lawrence (JAX), $200 million

5. Justin Herbert (LAC), $193.7 million

6. Kyler Murray (ARI), $189.5 million

Running back

Highest three-year APY:

1. Christian McCaffrey, $17.2 million

Signed: April 2020 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Jonathan Taylor (IND), $14 million

3. Alvin Kamara (NO), $12.7 million

4. Saquon Barkley (PHI), $12.6 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Christian McCaffrey, $36.3 million

Signed: April 2020 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Alvin Kamara (NO), $34.3 million

3. Jonathan Taylor (IND), $26.5 million

4. Saquon Barkley (PHI), $26 million

Wide receiver

Highest three-year APY:

1. Justin Jefferson, $35 million

Signed: June 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. A.J. Brown (PHI), $32 million

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), $30 million

4. Jaylen Waddle (MIA), $28.3 million

5. Cooper Kupp (LAR), $26.7 million

6. Stefon Diggs (HOU), $26.2 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Justin Jefferson, $110 million

Signed: June 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. A.J. Brown (PHI), $84 million

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET), $77 million

4. Jaylen Waddle (MIA), $76 million

5. Cooper Kupp (LAR), $75 million

6. Tyreek Hill (MIA), $72.2 million

Tight end

Highest three-year APY:

1. Travis Kelce, $17.1 million

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Darren Waller (NYG), $17 million

3. T.J. Hockenson (MIN), $16 million

4. George Kittle (SF), $15.3 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. T.J. Hockenson, $42.5 million

Signed: August 2023 (contract ends in 2027)

2. George Kittle (SF), $40 million

3. Mark Andrews (BAL), $37.6 million

Offensive tackle

Highest three-year APY:

1. Penei Sewell, $28 million

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Laremy Tunsil (HOU), $25 million

3. Andrew Thomas (NYG), $24.2 million

4. Ronnie Stanley (BAL), $21.2 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Penei Sewell, $85 million

Signed: April 2024 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Ronnie Stanley (BAL), $64.1 million

3. Andrew Thomas (NYG), $61.9 million

4. Ryan Ramczyk (NO), $60.2 million

Guard

Highest three-year APY:

1. Chris Lindstrom, $21.8 million

Signed: March 2023 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Robert Hunt (CAR), $21 million

3. Quenton Nelson (IND), $20.9 million

4. Mike Onwenu (NE), $19 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Robert Hunt, $63 million

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Chris Lindstrom (ATL), $62.7 million

3. Quenton Nelson (IND), $60 million

Center

Highest three-year APY:

1. Frank Ragnow, $14 million

Signed: May 2021 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Lloyd Cushenberry (TEN), $12.6 million

3. Erik McCoy (NO), $12.5 million

4. Ryan Kelly (IND), $12.4 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Frank Ragnow, $42 million

Signed: May 2021 (contract ends in 2026)

2. Ryan Kelly (IND), $34 million

3. Erik McCoy (NO), $33 million

4. Lloyd Cushenberry (TEN), $30 million

Cornerback

Highest three-year APY:

1. Jaire Alexander, $21.8 million

Signed: May 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Jalen Ramsey (MIA), $20.6 million

3. Marshon Lattimore (NO), $20.3 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Denzel Ward, $71.25 million

Signed: April 2022 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Jalen Ramsey (MIA), $71.2 million

3. Marshon Lattimore (NO), $68.3 million

Safety

Highest three-year APY:

1. Antoine Winfield Jr., $21.03 million

Signed: May 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Derwin James Jr. (LAC), $19.6 million

3. Minkah Fitzpatrick (PIT), $18.6 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Antoine Winfield Jr., $45 million

Signed: May 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2.Derwin James Jr. (LAC), $42 million

T3. Minkah Fitzpatrick (PIT), $36 million

T3. Jessie Bates III (ATL), $36 million

Edge rusher

Highest three-year APY:

1. Nick Bosa, $34.7 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2029)

2. T.J. Watt (PIT), $30.5 million

T3. Josh Allen (JAX), $30 million

T3. Brian Burns (NYG), $30 million

4. Myles Garrett (CLE), $26.7 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Nick Bosa, $119.9 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends in 2029)

2. Myles Garrett (CLE), $100 million

3. Josh Allen (JAX), $88 million

4. Brian Burns (NYG), $87.5 million

Defensive tackle

Highest three-year APY:

1. Chris Jones, $31.7 millon

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Aaron Donald (LAR), $31.6 million

3. Christian Wilkins (LV), $28 million

4. Derrick Brown (CAR), $24 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Chris Jones, $101 million

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends in 2028)

2. Christian Wilkins (LV), $82.7 million

3. Quinnen Williams (NYJ), $66 million

4. Aaron Donald (LAR), $65 million

Off-ball linebacker

Highest three-year APY:

1. Roquan Smith, $20 million

Signed: January 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. Fred Warner (SF), $19.5 million

3. Tremaine Edmunds (CHI), $19 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Roquan Smith, $60 million

Signed: January 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. C.J. Mosley (NYJ), $51 million

3. Tremaine Edmunds (CHI), $45 million

Kicker

Highest three-year APY:

1. Justin Tucker, $6.2 million

Signed: August 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Matt Gay (IND), $5.9 million

3. Chris Boswell (PIT), $5.6 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Justin Tucker, $17.5 million

Signed: August 2022 (contract ends in 2027)

2. Graham Gano (NYG), $13.2 million

2. Matt Gay (IND), $13 million

Long-snapper

Highest three-year APY:

1. Luke Rhodes, $1.67 million

Signed: September 2023 (contract ends 2027)

2. Joe Cardona (NE), $1.63 million

3. Zach Wood (NO), $1.62 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Tyler Ott, $2.8 million

Signed: March 2024 (contract ends 2026)

2. Thomas Hennessy, $2.62 million

3.Joe Cardona (NE), $2.6 million

Punter

Highest three-year APY:

1. Michael Dickson, $3.9 million

Signed: June 2021 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Jack Fox (DET), $3.6 million

3. Tress Way (WSH), $3.3 million

Total guaranteed money:

1. Michael Dickson, $8.5 million

Signed: June 2021 (contract ends in 2025)

2. Jack Fox (DET), $7.5 million

2. Tress Way (WSH), $6.4 million

- ESPN staff

JOE BURROW OUT FOR THE SEASON | NFL INVESTIGATION

NHL INVESTIGATING WHY BENGALS DIDN'T LIST HOE BURROW ON INJURY REPORT

AP Photo 

The NFL is investigating why the Cincinnati Bengals did not list Joe Burrow on their injury report before Thursday night's game at Baltimore, which Burrow exited in the second quarter with a wrist injury that will end his season, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Friday.

The Bengals had posted and later deleted a video on social media that showed Burrow getting off a bus before the team's 34-20 loss to the Ravens with his right hand in what appeared to be a soft cast.

Burrow said Friday he was wearing a compression sleeve for reasons not related to his season-ending injury.

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JOE BURROW ON FIRE! 🔥!