Joe Burrow reiterates what he's been preaching for two months, and this could be the last time he speaks on it
The pinnacle of the NFL calendar is the Super Bowl. No stage is grander, nor has more eyes and ears on it. Whether you're playing in the game or not, it's the perfect time to get a message across. Enter Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who's been repeating the same message for two months. It's no […]
The pinnacle of the NFL calendar is the Super Bowl. No stage is grander, nor has more eyes and ears on it. Whether you're playing in the game or not, it's the perfect time to get a message across.
Enter Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who's been repeating the same message for two months. It's no coincidence he chose to make the rounds for the media Thursday morning.
Burrow has been constantly adding public pressure on the Bengals' front office to do right by his fellow star teammates and pay them what they're worth. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson, and even Mike Gesicki have all been brought into question. Burrow wants all of them to come back with brand-new contracts and has described them as needs on several occasions.
Joe Burrow gets to the point on First Take
When pressed by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith toward the end of his time on First Take, Burrow laid out the same expectations he's had for weeks.
"We all want to stay together, so we're all going to do what it takes to do that," Burrow said. "We have great players that have done great things and deserve to be paid. They're going to be paid what they're worth, whether we do it or somebody else. I hope we do it. We've had the discussions that the guys are going to get paid, that need to get paid. So it's a big offseason for the Bengals."
What Burrow has consistently made a point of saying is how aligned he is with his teammates. Chase, Higgins, Hendrickson, and Gesicki all want to be paid what they're worth, but are completely on board with making sure they stay together. A unified front ensures that if there are any slip-ups in the coming weeks, it won't be because a player got in the way.
All the pressure is on those who write checks for the team. Burrow has done more than his fair share to confirm that.
Perhaps the most important statement Burrow made from the above quote is the discussions he's already been in on. That the club has developed a plan to sign their core players, and Burrow is speaking on that plan and not concocting it out of nothing.
Again, more fuel to any fire that would break out should things go sideways.
Burrow has had a platform to make these statements after games and during his in-season weekly press conferences. He made headlines at the Pro Bowl Games for making similar statements. He's now doing the same at the Super Bowl.
All of this will come to a head in the coming weeks, most likely before free agency begins in the middle of March. There may not be another opportunity for Burrow to apply any more pressure than he's already had a hand in doing.
If this was his final message, it was a strong one. Now the Bengals have approximately a month to sort it all out, or face the immediate backlash of failing their franchise QB.
NFL insider validates what Bengals QB Joe Burrow has been heavily hinting at for the past month
Burrow and his elite receivers seem to have a plan.
