CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow became the highest-paid player in the NFL on Thursday, agreeing to a five-year, $275 million contract extension.

The contract includes more than $219 million guaranteed.

The deal, which will pay Burrow an average of $55 million a year, puts him ahead of other top quarterbacks in the league who signed new deals in the offseason.

Signing the 2022 Pro Bowler and 2021 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year to an extension was a goal of the team this summer, but the deal wasn’t finalized until three days before the Bengals’ season opener at Cleveland.

“This is where I want to be my whole career,” Burrow said Wednesday. “You’ve seen what the front office has done and what (coach) Zac (Taylor) has done in their time here. I’m a small part of that. I’m excited to be a part of that. And we have great people in the locker room that grind every day, that are excited to go and showcase their talents and excited to go and do it in the city of Cincinnati.”

Burrow strained a calf muscle early in training camp and was out of action until last week. He said he’s on track to start against the Browns on Sunday.

The market for quarterbacks was set for Burrow in late July when Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert agreed to a five-year, $262.5 million extension.

Herbert’s total value and $52.5 million average per season surpassed the $260 million, five-year extension ($52 million average) that Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson signed in April. Deshaun Watson agreed to a fully guaranteed $230 million deal with Cleveland in 2022.

Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes is in the third year of a 10-year contract worth $450 million, the largest overall deal for a quarterback.