NFL Rumors: Predicting the next 5 highest-paid QB contracts after Joe Burrow deal

The Cincinnati Bengals made Joe Burrow a very rich man on Thursday, signing him to the most lucrative contract in NFL history. The 26-year-old will make $275 million over a five-year period, with $219.01 million guaranteed. He will make an annual average of $55 million. Not bad.

Burrow is the latest in a long line of QBs to sign massive contracts this summer. Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Justin Herbert all signed deals worth north of $50 million annually. While the market for running backs crumbles, the market for quarterbacks has never been stronger. The best players at football's primary position will continue to receive big checks.

With Burrow's record-breaking deal freshly minted, it's only a matter of time until a new record holder emerges. Only a handful of quarterbacks are good enough to challenge Burrow's high-water mark, but these names stand out as candidates to sign the next mega-deal.

NFL Rumors: Cowboys' Dak Prescott could follow Joe Burrow as next big QB contract

Dak Prescott could hit free agency next summer. Progress on potential extension talks has been slow-moving and Dallas recently traded for Trey Lance, which feels like a tactic to pressure Prescott in a contract year. There's no guarantee that Dallas views Prescott as a player worthy of $50 million annually. He's probably not.

That said, the QB market is through the roof and Prescott has a high reputation in league circles. He has captained some very successful regular season groups and he has two Pro Bowl appearances to his name. He's already making an annual average of $40 million. There's a decent chance his next contract — whether it's with the Cowboys or another team — creeps even higher.

Prescott would benefit tremendously from a deep postseason run. His contract is going to be a recurring theme all season for the Cowboys, until he either signs a new deal or Jerry Jones verbalizes the opposite intention.

The 30-year-old still has gas left in the tank. He missed five games to injury last season, and Cooper Rush was notably 4-1 in Prescott's place, but Prescott was his typically efficient self when healthy. He completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 2,860 yards and 23 touchdowns while going 8-4 under center. Prescott also threw 15 interceptions, though, a worrying total. That could be enough to make the Cowboys think twice about offering Prescott the next mega-deal.