Joe Burrow hasn’t had his contract restructured this offseason, but the Bengals did apparently restructure offensive lineman Cody Ford’s contract.
Salary cap expert Andrew Perrota noticed on Over The Cap that the team cut Cody Ford’s 2026 pay down to a league-minimum deal. “Based on Over The Cap, it looks like Cody Ford agreed to a pay cut for 2026,” Perrota posted on Twitter. “Previously, Ford was scheduled to earn $2.9 million in cash (non-GRTD) in 2026. His new 2026 base salary (cash earnings)
is down to the league minimum (for a player with Ford’s number of credited seasons) of $1.3M. Cap and cash savings of $1.6M.
“This is not a restructure (base to bonus conversion), but rather a straight pay cut. Bengals have plenty of cap room to sign all of their draft picks and UDFAs and don’t need to cut anyone to sign their entire class (drafted + undrafted).”
Bengals fans have been clamoring for a restructure of Burrow’s contract for a long time, and rightfully so. Fans want the Bengals’ front office to build the best team around Burrow to contend for Super Bowls every single season. The Bengals do now have one of the lowest cap spaces remaining in the NFL, so that’s a good thing.
Trading for Dexter Lawrence has reinvigorated the Bengals’ fanbase. It’s a clear sign that the Bengals are going all in. They could still restructure Burrow’s contract or the contracts of the free agents they have signed this offseason, but they have been proactive this offseason in building the roster with more talent.
Ford has started 10 games for the Bengals since joining the team in 2023. He’s never graded above 55.8 overall on Pro Football Focus since entering the league in 2019, but he’s been a valuable depth piece since signing with Cincinnati, providing depth at guard and offensive tackle.
