What happened: The Bengals restructured Joe Burrow's contract to create $10 million in cap room, giving Cincinnati additional financial flexibility heading into the 2026 season. It's the latest in a series of moves the team has made to clear space around its franchise quarterback.

Why it matters: Restructures convert salary into bonus and push money into future years — useful short-term, but lean on them too often and the cap bill keeps growing down the line. With Burrow anchoring the books, the question is whether Cincinnati is buying real roster help now or just deferring a harder reckoning later.