Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) gives a thumbs up to the fans after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. The Bengals collected their first win of the season, 33-25, from the Jaguars.
Joe Burrow on Tuesday sent a message to the Cincinnati Bengals’ front office.
Burrow spoke with the media for a mid-week press conference and said that the Bengals’ front office needs to prioritize getting contract extensions done early with their top talent. The comments come in the context of the contract situations for Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
“Whenever a great player leaves you wish you could have found a way to keep them. You don’t want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building. I think that’s why you got to do everything you can to get those deals done early,” Burrow said, via Paul Dehner Jr.
The Bengals were unable to get a contract extension done with top receiver Chase prior to the season. Cincinnati has a $21.8 5th-year club option they can exercise for Chase in 2025. But in a season where he leads the NFL in catches (117), receiving yards (1,612) and receiving touchdowns (16), his price for a long-term deal will go up tremendously.
Meanwhile, Higgins is playing under the franchise tag and set to become a free agent in 2025. He has 69 catches for 858 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. His 3-touchdown game in Week 16 made his price go up as well.
The Bengals drafted some excellent receivers in consecutive years and have hit on those picks, so Burrow and the team’s fans don’t want to see them lose those players. Burrow could probably help Cincinnati’s situation if he adjusted his contract; he has a cap hit of at least $46 million for each of the next five seasons.
Cincinnati is 8-8 entering Week 18. They need to beat the Steelers and have the Broncos and Dolphins lose in order to make the postseason.
