Joe Burrow delivers another strong message towards the Bengals that needs to be taken seriously
Saturday night could be the last time Joe Burrow throws a pass to Tee Higgins in a Cincinnati Bengals uniform. Neither of them want that to be the case, but it's a possibility nonetheless.Higgins' impending free agency following this year could've been avoided had him and the front office agreed to a contract extension before […]
Saturday night could be the last time Joe Burrow throws a pass to Tee Higgins in a Cincinnati Bengals uniform. Neither of them want that to be the case, but it's a possibility nonetheless.
Higgins' impending free agency following this year could've been avoided had him and the front office agreed to a contract extension before the 2023 season or at any point before July 15 of this year before Higgins' franchise tag was locked in for the season.
The Bengals couldn't cross the finish line with him or fellow star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, though Chase is still under contract through 2025. Before them, it was DJ Reader and Jessie Bates III who left for larger deals with Burrow and others helpless to do anything about it.
Burrow does not want this habit to continue, nor should he.
During his final regular season presser Tuesday afternoon, Burrow was asked by The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway how he feels about former teammates thriving on new teams. His response should garner the attention of the Bengals' front office.
"Whenever a great player leaves, you wish you could have found a way to keep them," Burrow said. "You don't want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building. And I think that's why you got to do everything you can to get those deals done early."
If the Bengals had done everything they could to extend Higgins and Chase, those two would be locked in with Burrow for the foreseeable future. Instead, Burrow continues answering questions about what's next for his two star teammates. That's a direct indictment on the people running the team.
Burrow got the treatment his teammates deserved. The Bengals pushed aside their principles to give their quarterback a record-setting extension with $219 million guaranteed. That's the money that actually matters, and the front office has always been hesitant to include it even when the player is more than deserving.
Quarterbacks will always get the biggest deals and break precedents, but in order for the Bengals to continue supporting Burrow with a championship-caliber roster, they need to heed his words and take care of business with his best teammates. That starts with Higgins and Chase this upcoming offseason, even if former Bengals great Chad Johnson thinks it's impossible.
Failing to do so may result in more shots from Burrow.