Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow spent the latter half of the 2024 NFL season publicly pushing for the team to re-sign wide receiver Tee Higgins. While Cincinnati will pursue every avenue to keep its core together, some around the NFL are highly skeptical of the team making Burrow happy.
The Bengals have plenty of work to do this spring after missing the playoffs. Higgins and tight end are both eligible for NFL free agency, with defensive starters Mike Hilton, B.J. Hill and Akeem Davis-Gaither also set to hit the open market.
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Meanwhile, All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase are both entering the final year of their contracts. Hendrickson has already threatened to demand a trade without a new deal and contract negotiations with Chase this past summer went poorly. Now, the prices of extending both players will be even higher with the front office also under pressure to re-sign its top free agents.
Ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Burrow made the media rounds campaigning for the Bengals front office to re-sign Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki this offseason. He also pushed for the team to extend Chase and Hendrickson, making them two of the highest-paid NFL players. As for how it can be done, Cincinnati’s quarterback explained to Pardon My Take how he could adjust his deal.
“You could convert some of the money to a signing bonus, which will lower the cap hit. You can push some of the money to the back end of the contract. That lowers the cap hit. And then when you get to the back end of the contract, you can restructure it and convert it to a signing bonus. You can also just take less money.”
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow on what he can do to create more cap space (H/T ESPN)
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While Burrow is willing to alter his deal if it helps the franchise keep its long-term core together, NFL executives are skeptical that Cincinnati will do what its franchise quarterback wants.
Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post spoke to multiple general managers regarding the Bengals’ situation. At best, the belief is that Cincinnati will only be able to keep two of its top players.
“Burrow is going to be pissed. No way they are keeping more than two of those four.”
Anonymous NFL GM on the Cincinnati Bengals efforts to retain Ja’Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson, Tee Higgins and Mike Gesicki
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There is severe skepticism regarding the ability and willingness of Bengals owner Mike Brown to “spend big” in the years to come. After all, this is the same franchise that needed to sell the naming rights to its stadium to help cover Burrow’s contract extension.
While NFL revenue is skyrocketing and there are multiple team owners with multi-billion dollar net worths, Brown is now the most cash-poor owner in the league. Because of it, only Chase and Burrow might be sticking around in Cincinnati past the 2026 season.
