Joe Burrow Takes Subtle Shot at Bengals Over Contract Negotiations With Star WRs

The superstar quarterback once again emphasized how much he wants Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase as teammates for a long time.

Joe Burrow / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Cincinnati Bengals' intense chase for an AFC playoff spot culminates with Week 18, there is a clear undercurrent of tension between the face of the franchise and the franchise itself.

Joe Burrow has been playing out of his mind while keeping Cincy alive in the postseason chase and, as the season has gone along, been willing to speak more openly about how strongly he believes the Bengals should retain talents like Tee Higgins. Higgins was franchise-tagged by Cincinnati last offseason after contract negotiations turned ugly and has been clear he doesn't really expect to be wearing a Bengals uniform in 2025.

After singing Higgins's praises following his massive performance to beat the Denver Broncos last week and fend off playoff elimination, Burrow took a subtle shot at his employers for how they've handled contract negotiations with the team's two star wideouts in Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.

"Whenever a great player leaves, you wish you could have found a way to keep them," Burrow said when asked about the possibility of seeing Higgins walk out the door this offseason. "You don’t want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building. And I think that’s why you want to do everything you can to get these things done early."

“You don’t want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building… that’s why you want to do everything you can to get these things done early.” Joe Burrow on signing stars like Ja’’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins https://t.co/lOpcbshu4n

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) December 31, 2024

The Bengals, of course, failed to get a deal done early with Higgins. That failure led to what seems to be a soured relationship between player and team. And it seems like they're on the verge of doing it again with Chase, who held out of training camp for an extension last offseason but did not get one. Unlike Higgins, however, Chase has one more offseason of negotiations remaining; his rookie deal isn't up until 2026.

This sure feels like Burrow flexing his franchise quarterback muscles in an effort to keep his talented teammates. He committed to Cincinnati long-term by signing a $275 million deal last September. But the Bengals have historically been loathe to shell out top-end money for top-end talent. Burrow is doing everything he can to ensure the Bengals don't try and go cheap with his supporting cast, it would seem.

Ultimately there's only so much he can do. But his willingness to speak so openly about the franchise's failure to lock up great players ahead of time will make this offseason very interesting to watch.

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