Joe Burrow watched elite AFC quarterbacks compete in the playoffs from home and made it a priority to challenge the Cincinnati Bengals organization to retain their top talent. He has benefited immensely from having Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, as their trio has formed one of the most explosive offenses in football since their arrival in Cincinnati. However, the Bengals face difficult decisions regarding Chase and Higgins moving forward.
Higgins is poised to become an unrestricted free agent if he and the Bengals can’t reach a new deal, while Chase has one year left after the team accepted his fifth-year option earlier this year. The potential loss of either player in the coming years would adversely affect the Bengals’ prolific offense. Naturally, Burrow wants both to stay, urging the Bengals to pay them “what they are worth” before another team steps in.
“I don’t know what more he could show and do to prove himself,” Burrow said of Ja’Marr Chase at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on Thursday. “We have several guys like that, who have stepped up for us and deserve to be paid. Deserve to be paid what they’re worth.” While it’s one thing for Burrow to voice these sentiments, it’s another challenge entirely for the Bengals to manage the finances.
Could Burrow consider taking a pay cut to retain either player? This could be a way to create the necessary cap space for both Higgins and Chase. Only time will tell, but it’s clear that Burrow isn’t prepared to see his dynamic offense falter.
