Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Steven Montez

Tuesday, June 9, 12:00 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals restructured the contract of quarterback Joe Burrow on Tuesday, creating $10 million in salary cap space, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The move was due in part to the cash needed for the trade that landed the Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence this offseason. The 29-year-old QB has four years left on his five-year, $275 million deal that he signed in September of 2023. Burrow, a three-time Pro Bowler, only played in eight games in 2025 in his sixth year in the NFL, a major disappointment after he led the NFL in attempts (652), completions (460), passing yards (4,918), touchdowns (43), and yards per game (289.3) in 2024. He doesn't have the dual-threat abilities of some of the other elite names at the position, but what Burrow lacks in rushing skills, he makes up for with his arm strength and precision as a passer, and he has one of the best WR corps in the league with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as his top-two receivers. Burrow is a high-risk/high-reward midrange QB1 target in fantasy football drafts for the 2026 season, and he's currently ranked as RotoBaller's QB5.