AFC Notes: Joe Burrow, J.K. Dobbins, Bengals, Ravens, Titans

Bengals

• Pro Football Talk has the full details of Bengals QB Joe Burrow‘s record-setting contract. Burrow got a $40 million guaranteed roster bonus in 2023 in addition to a $4.535 million guaranteed training camp roster bonus and a $1.01 million guaranteed base salary. 
• Burrow’s previously scheduled $29.5 million 2024 salary under the fifth-year option was changed to $10.714 million, also guaranteed. He has another option bonus worth $55 million fully guaranteed as well. 
• The base salaries in the new years of the deal in 2025-2029 are $25.25 million, $25.25 million, $27.25 million, $35.5 million, and $48.039 million. His 2025 salary is fully guaranteed. His 2026 salary is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. 
• In 2027, Burrow’s base is guaranteed for injury with $18.3 million vesting to be fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. The rest becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2027 league year. 
• Burrow also has $10 million option bonuses in 2025, 2026 and 2027. His 2025 bonus is fully guaranteed, his 2026 bonus is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed in 2025, and his 2027 bonus becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2027 league year. In 2028, Burrow has a $5 million option bonus and in March of 2029, he has a $2.5 million roster bonus. 
• From 2025-2029, Burrow can make up to $1.75 million annually in incentives; $500,000 for winning the AFC championship and $1.25 million for winning a Super Bowl. 
• Bengals HC Zac Taylor on his message to the team following their loss to the Browns on Sunday: “This isn’t the team that we are going to be. We all understand that.” (Paul Dehner)

Ravens

Ravens HC John Harbaugh said the team will use a committee approach in order to replace RB J.K. Dobbins.

“I pretty much consider all the guys starters, really, just being truthful about it,” Harbaugh said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “They all have to be able to play that well. They’re on the team for a reason — it’s because they’re good enough to do it, and all those backs are going to play quite a bit.”

Harbaugh also plans on utilizing RB Melvin Gordon and said he’ll play a key role.

“He’s here for a reason and certainly didn’t expect it to be this quick, but that’s why he’s here and that’s why he wanted to stay here,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a proven back, so I’m very, very glad that he’s here.”

• Ravens HC John Harbaugh said that RB J.K. Dobbins will have Achilles surgery and added that S Marcus Williams has a pectoral injury and is reviewing options for surgery that may not end his entire season. (Jeff Zrebiec)
• Harbaugh sounded skeptical that both C Tyler Linderbaum (ankle sprain) and LT Ronnie Stanley (knee sprain) would play and are week-to-week. (Zrebiec)
• As for bringing in a new running back, Harbaugh notes the team will use RB Melvin Gordon as their No.3: Harbaugh said they aren’t in the RB market. “I like the guys we got.” (Zrebiec)

Titans

Titans HC Mike Vrabel said he didn’t have an answer as to why QB Ryan Tannehill had an off game.

“I don’t know,” Vrabel said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “I wish that I knew. I wish that I could tell you. We have to be better. Ryan has to be better. We have to hit guys that are open, and we can’t force the ball into double coverage. And so we have to give him cleaner pockets like we gave him in the second half earlier. We have to be better, and we can’t turn the football over.“