Why Joe Burrow Only Received $12 Million of His $24.6 Million Signing Bonus From Bengals

Joe Burrow lost around half of his rookie guaranteed money due to state taxes.

Why Joe Burrow Only Received $12 Million of His $24.6 Million Signing Bonus From Bengals

Joe Burrow (Image via IMAGO/X)

When NFL teams announce that they have signed a player to a certain contract and that he will earn this much over the next number of years, the club never truly reveals how much the player will earn. Joe Burrow found that out very early in his Cincinnati Bengals career.

A recently resurfaced video clip shows Burrow remembering the shock of discovering how much the Bengals actually credited to his bank account.

Yo, where’s 12 million gone?

Burrow asked

Burrow signed a four-year rookie contract worth just over $36 million, fully guaranteed, with a signing bonus commonly listed around $23.9 million to $24.6 million, depending on the breakdown.

Burrow’s reaction to seeing only half of the money in his account makes sense. It didn’t take long for him to realize the reason behind the deduction.

Then I realized taxes had already taken a huge chunk of it.

Burrow said

According to AARP, Cincinnati residents and workers are subject to 1.8% tax on city earnings. Additionally, they pay 2.75% income tax between $26,051 and $100,000 and up to 3.125% on income above $100,000 the state of Ohio.

Burrow is now far beyond rookie-deal money. In September 2023, the 29-year-old quarterback signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension, an average value of $55 million per year, and more than $219 million in total guarantees.  

Since signing it, Burrow has played all 17 games just once, and that was in 2024. That year, he led the league in pass completions (460), passing yards (4918), and touchdowns (43).

After graduating from high school, Burrow committed to play for Ohio State but later transferred to LSU. He posted a 25-3 record in college, won the 2019 CFP Championship game and the Heisman Trophy. The Bengals drafted him first overall in 2020.

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Joe Burrow gives a major injury update

Injuries kept Burrow from making more appearances over the last three seasons. The 2023 season ended when he hurt his throwing arm. Jake Browning took over and delivered a few wins.

Why Joe Burrow Only Received $12 Million of His $24.6 Million Signing Bonus From Bengals
Joe Burrow (Image via IMAGO)

Two years later, he suffered a turf toe injury that needed surgery in week two, forcing him to miss a few games. Entering into the fourth year of his contract, Burrow announced that he’s feeling great and is ready to hit the ground running at the Bengals training camp.

It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time. I had some tough years with injuries and stuff, and it took a while to get my body the way I wanted it, but now I’m in a really good place. I had a lot of time this year. You know, I hurt my big toe in Week 2, and I couldn’t be on the field, but it wasn’t as debilitating an injury as some of the others I’ve had.

Joe Burrow said (H/T Bengals Wire)

Despite starting the 2025-26 season with a 2-0 record, the Bengals could not carry that momentum into the following games due to Burrow’s absence. The Bengals put him on injured reserve after undergoing surgery. He returned just in time to play in the Thanksgiving game against the Baltimore Ravens and threw a couple of touchdowns in a 32–14 victory.

He played the final few games and posted a 5-3 record. He completed 66.8% of his passes for 1809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. The NFL awarded Burrow his third Pro Bowl honor.

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