Posted at 12:13 p.m., Saturday, July 28, 2007
NFL: Bengals sign former Nevada QB Rowe
Associated Press
RENO, Nev. - Former Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe has signed a four-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals worth about $1.7 million.
Rowe, who was selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft in April, said he will earn $275,000 this season, with each successive season increasing about $100,000 per season.
"It's pretty much the league minimum. It's pretty standard," Rowe said today after his first practice in Georgetown, Ky.
"It took a little longer than expected. It's nice to finally have it done," he told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Rowe, a Reno McQueen High grad who was a three-year starter for the Wolf Pack, Rowe said he was in communication regularly with agent Jeff Sperbeck, the brother of former Wolf Pack quarterback Marshall Sperbeck (1981-82), but did not sit in on the negotiations.
Rowe went through minicamp earlier this spring, and said it was nice to finally get in a full practice with the entire team.
"It went well," he said. "There were a lot fans. It was a different environment."
Georgetown is about an hour south of Cincinnati.
Bengals quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese said he thinks Rowe will play extensively during the preseason, which begins Aug. 9 at Detroit. But he doesn't expect him to play at all in their season opener at home against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 10.
Rowe is listed third on the depth chart behind All-Pro Carson Palmer and veteran Doug Johnson. Another rookie quarterback, Jeff Smith, of Georgetown (Ky.) College, is fourth.
