Joe Burrow sends clear message to Bengals GM over Tee Higgins’ contract debacle

In the upcoming offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals will see Tee Higgins and Ja’ Marr Chase in hunt for better pay and amenities

Joe Burrow sends clear message to Bengals GM over Tee Higgins’ contract debacle

Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow (Image via Imago)

Joe Burrow is making it clear he wants Tee Higgins to remain with the Cincinnati Bengals beyond this season. When asked about the possibility of Higgins not returning in 2025, Burrow expressed his strong feelings, stating he would be “very disappointed” and emphasized that Higgins is a player the team “needs” moving forward.

Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are instrumental in building an explosive Bengals squad. With none of them being in the same basket of no future financial talks, Chase and Higgins have not been offered any prospective numbers back in the offseason.

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Joe Burrow, in a press conference, addressed how he feels about not having Tee Higgins in his arsenal next year amid a home burglary attempt.

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I’d be very disappointed in that…Tee is a need.

Joe Burrow said

Burrow, one of the most explosive quarterbacks in the league so far, added that there should be crucial talks in place to ensure that Higgins plays with the Bengals in the last post-game presser.

I’m confident we are going to be able to do what it takes to bring Tee [Higgins] back. I know that I am going to do what it takes to get him back. So, he can have those talks; those are going to be offseason discussions. I think we are excited about that opportunity.

Joe Burrow added

The Bengals are gearing up for a confused offseason, much of it centered on their star-studded receiving duo. Efforts to secure a long-term deal with Ja’Marr Chase ahead of the season fell through, reportedly due to disagreements over guaranteed money and injury protections, as James Rapien of SI.com noted.

Meanwhile, Tee Higgins’ future in Cincinnati has long felt uncertain. Playing under the franchise tag, Higgins turned down a reported offer of less than $20 million per season, suggesting that this could be his final chapter with the Bengals.

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ESPN analyst wants the Bengals to utilize Tee Higgins over Ja’Marr Chase

According to a recent report from ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano, the best option for the Cincinnati Bengals is paying Tee Higgins instead of a high payout for Ja’Marr Chase.

Tee Higgins
Tee Higgins (via Bengals/YouTube)

Chase’s exceptional performance this season may have elevated his value to a level that could make the Bengals hesitant to meet his price. In such a scenario, retaining Tee Higgins and exploring a trade involving Chase could become a viable option for the team.

Now [Chase] could expect to be the league’s highest-paid receiver (which means more than Justin Jefferson’s $35 million per year)… Signing Higgins would be both their best leverage against Chase in negotiations and their best insurance against losing him... That likely would mean trading Chase, who is under contract for 2025 for a guaranteed $21.86 million on his fifth-year option. Cincinnati could surely find a taker.

Dan Graziano noted
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The notion that the Bengals might not offer Ja’Marr Chase an extension is however an implausible idea. Chase has developed as one of the best wideouts in the NFL’s recent history. Furthermore, he has established a rapport with the quarterback, something not many teams could vouch for. The management would not be willing to mismanage the rapport and plow the way for a significant mishap.

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