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The Cincinnati Bengals broke the back for Joe Burrow this week, signing him to a five-year extension through 2028. Burrow had 2 years and $41 million remaining on his rookie contract and now gets $275 in new money. He is the highest-paid player in the NFL … for now. Burrow is 26 years of age and will likely retire in Cincinnati. His $219 million guarantee is a huge step for NFL players as the league has resisted giving hefty guarantees like the NBA and MLB. Historically known as a “cheap” franchise, it is great to see the Bengals step up and extend their star without any public acrimony. These long contract extensions actually help the team more than the players because the salary cap and quarterback salaries will increase over the next several years while Burrow’s salary is locked in. We may see more shorter-length deals like the one Dak Prescott signed. While there is risk, Prescott has the chance to greatly out-earn Burrow over their respective careers.

Aaron Rodgers went down on his fourth snap in Monday night's opener. It was a gruesome injury. We will learn more about the extent of the injury in the coming weeks. For now, expect Zach Wilson to be the quarterback for the next several games. If the injury is season-ending, we expect New York to bring in another quarterback. Also of note, if Rodgers doesn’t play 60% of the Jets’ snaps this season, Green Bay will only receive New York's second-round pick (for Rodgers), instead of a first-rounder. For dynasty, the injury is a bummer as it negatively effects every player on the offense.

This past week, Tom Pelissero tweeted, “The NFL suspended #Saints rookie QB Jake Haener for the first six games of the 2023 season, per the wire … Haener's suspension is for violating the PED policy, per source.” Haener was a fourth-round pick who some scouts really liked coming out of Fresno State. He struggled in preseason and is slated to sit behind Derek Carr and Jameis Winston this season. This suspension may stunt his growth. Haener – at 24 years of age – is older than most rookies so he may not have too much room to grow.

Baltimore Ravens tailback J.K. Dobbins exited Sunday’s game in the third quarter. Sure, the Ravens won the game against the Texans, but this injury will prove costly as it was later reported that Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles and is done for the season. This is his second lost season in three years, as he missed the 2021 season after tearing an ACL days before Week 1. Dobbins is in the last year of his rookie contract and will now have to prove healthy before getting a new contract. He was replaced by Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, two middling veterans. Each had eight carries in the game. Edwards gained 32 yards, and Hill tallied just 9, though he scored two touchdowns. Edwards is the better early-down runner, and Hill should see more work in the passing game. To add depth, Baltimore will activate Melvin Gordon from the practice squad. Of the group, Edwards has the most fantasy upside, though the situation will likely be a messy committee.

The Detroit-Kansas City Thursday night game was awesome for fantasy managers and fans alike. Many fantasy managers were disappointed with the usage of rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, but coach Dan Campbell gave us all hope when he told reporters that Gibbs' low snap count against the Chiefs was by design. Campbell wanted to let him get a glimpse of what the game looked like before unleashing him. Campbell said, "He'll begin to get more touches now, so that was just the beginning last night." So, now is the time to buy if there is an opportunity in your dynasty league. We do expect the Montgomery-Gibbs committee to continue and impede the fantasy upside of each player.

Rashaad Penny was an offseason darling in the dynasty world but was a healthy scratch in Week 1. While it surprised many, this was signaled by beat writers the past few weeks. Kenneth Gainwell took the most snaps, with D'Andre Swift and Boston Scott mixing into the lineup. Given the Eagles' propensity to rotate backs, Penny is still worth rostering in medium-to-deep leagues as the season is long, and Philadelphia loves to run the football.

On the same day of the Burrow contract extension, we learned about the future of receiver Tee Higgins. Friday, Kelsey Conway tweeted, “WR Tee Higgins is not believed to be in the Bengals future plans, a source tells me. The two sides never got close on an extension. Unless something "shocking" happens in next 24 hrs, he will play this play the season w/ no long-term deal from Cincy.” Contract expert Joel Corry added, “Expect Tee Higgins to get a franchise tag next year with playing out his rookie contract. The WR tag projects to 8.543% of the 2024 salary cap. This should put the 2024 WR number in the $21M neighborhood.” So, while Higgins may not be in the future plans of the Bengals, he should still be a key piece of the offense for a while. Cincinnati will push for another Super Bowl run and need all of their weapons to do so.

The Cooper Kupp hamstring mystery is becoming clearer. On Wednesday, coach McVay gave reporters an update on his star receiver, telling them that the team is considering placing Kupp on injured reserve. He followed up with, "We want him to be out there, but we don't want to rush it." The Rams placed Kupp on injured reserve Saturday. He will miss at least three more games. Now, Kupp will have time to heal without the pressure to return. His teammates played well in the big win in Seattle on Sunday. Rookie Puka Nacua starred in Kupp’s absence, reeling in 10 of his 15 pass targets for 119 yards. This should not be a surprise as Nacua starred in training camp as well.