The clock is ticking for the Cincinnati Bengals' current core. Having a young core with the likes of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins is nice and all. However, at some point in the next few years, the team will need to pay them the big bucks to keep them around. Burrow is one of the first guys from this core to be eligible for an extension, and he's expressed his desire to keep the gang together. Higgins and Chase seem to appreciate this sentiment, with Higgins revealing that this team has been talking about staying together already, per Charlie Goldsmith.
Tee Higgins: “”Obviously we talk about staying together for the long run. Hopefully we can do that and get something negotiated to where they (Bengals) can keep all three of us.”
Higgins: “"Obviously we talk about staying together for the long run. Hopefully we can do that and get something negotiated to where they can keep all three of us."
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) May 16, 2023
Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are currently on rookie-scale contracts. All three are currently overperforming this contract greatly, and they're set to get paid sooner than later. Of course, all three want to look out for themselves and get a bag that they deserve. However, Burrow is willing to structure his contract so that the Bengals will be able to give a big extension for both Chase and Higgins.
Higgins is also eligible for a contract extension, as he was drafted in the same class as Burrow. There were rumors that the Bengals would rather trade Higgins instead of paying him, but those were shot down by Cincy exec Duke Tobin. Higgins is also appreciative of this gesture from the front office.
On Duke Tobin shooting down trade rumors: “That was pretty cool to see. It made me feel more wanted here.”
The Bengals are now facing a conundrum that all young up-and-coming teams have faced over the years. When the price tag for your star players go up, it becomes increasingly harder for them to keep everyone together. It's not impossible, but as we've seen over the years, it's also equally rare to see a team stick together. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins all clearly want to stay together in Cincinnati. The only question is… will the front office be willing to spend the money needed to keep them around?
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