Bengals president: 'Whole focus' is keeping Burrow long term

Cincinnati Bengals president Mike Brown is fully committed to extending Joe Burrow once the star quarterback becomes eligible for a new deal.

"We couldn't be happier with Joe Burrow," Brown said, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. "He's everything you would wish for, especially for a quarterback in Cincinnati. Our whole focus is going to be on keeping him here."

The former No. 1 overall pick is entering the third year of his rookie contract and will be eligible to receive an extension following the 2022 season. Cincinnati will also be able to exercise the fifth-year option on his current deal next year.

Burrow nearly led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl victory after a terrific second season, though the club fell short in a 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The quarterback market has exploded over the offseason, with Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, and Kyler Murray all earning new contracts worth at least $46 million annually, per Spotrac.

Brown said the cost of doing business in today's market may require significant departures but added that the "most important issue" will be finding a way to keep Burrow.

"This is a puzzle," Brown said. "It just doesn't all fit perfectly. We're going to have some pluses. We're going to get some guys signed that are critical to the team. And we're going to lose some guys."

Burrow completed a league-high 70.4% of his passes last season for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns.

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