There’s little doubt Ja’Marr Chase will get big bucks from the Cincinnati Bengals. That could force teammate Tee Higgins to seek a free-agent route. But Joe Burrow expressed an optimistic outlook on the Bengals paying Chase and Higgins, according to nbcsports.com.

“We can make it happen,” Burrow said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via Cincinnati.com. “We can make it happen. And it just has to be right for everybody involved.”

Of course, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson fits into the pay-me mix as well, but Burrow said he thinks the Bengals are going to find a way.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow wants his pass catches back

Burrow said he thinks the players will do what is best for the organization.

“I know the players want to make it work,” Burrow said. “We all want to be together. So I don’t see it not working out, but we’ll see.”

But it’s hard having five players at that level and still putting the remaining pieces together. The Bengals saw it firsthand in 2024 as defensive letdowns cost the team a playoff berth despite historically good seasons from Burrow and Chase.

It seems to make more sense to keep Chase while letting Higgins and Hendrickson walk. That would allow the Bengals to fill in some gaps and perhaps be a better team overall.

This is especially true because Burrow has shown he can still put up big numbers even without great receivers. Burrow makes lesser receivers better because of his accuracy.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he wants to fit the pieces together because he knows what the team wasted in 2024, according to nytimes.com.

“I feel urgency every single day,” Taylor said. “I’m not lying to you. Pressure’s not the word. You can’t do this job if you’re going to succumb to pressure, I just make the decisions I feel like I need to make. Not because of any pressure I feel. These are the decisions I feel l have to make because I’m the head coach of this football team and the expectations we have.”

Burrow said he and Taylor are on the same page.

“Our relationship is as good as it’s been,” Burrow said Saturday. “We’ve had some tough conversations. We’ve had good conversations and everything in between. That’s what playing football in the NFL is all about is having conversations to try to improve your team, yourself and everything.”