The Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2024 season with their key playmakers in place, as quarterback Joe Burrow is healed and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are set to form a dynamic pass-catching duo.
No more news: Bengals owner rejects idea of Ja’Marr Chase contract extension this offseason
The Bengals nearly lost Higgins, who was looking to get a new contract. Although Higgins played hardball with the team, trying to force the organization to sign him to a new contract, they wouldn’t budge. Instead, Higgins signed his franchise tag, which will pay him $23 million guaranteed this season.
Bengals owner Mike Brown explained why the team wasn’t willing to give Higgins a new contract, and his blunt reasoning could get someone like Chase in trouble in the future.
“The pie is not going to get bigger. It’s only going to be a certain size, but when you get to a point with your quarterback where you have to pay him a big contract, it takes a disproportionate piece of the pie away,” Brown said. “Which means you have less money left to pay other people. Sometimes that impacts your ability to sign other people.”
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Brown pointed out that the Bengals should pay Burrow a huge contract, which is certainly justified. Burrow has reinvigorated the team in a way that hasn’t been seen since the early 2010s.
The Bengals signed Burrow to a five-year, $275 million contract in 2023, signing him through the 2029 season. That contract has led Brown to be a bit more frugal with other players on the roster.
“You can’t pay people whatever you want. You’re limited in what you can pay, and we really like Tee Higgins. We’d like to sign him, but it has to be at a certain level to get under the salary cap or it’s not going to be possible,” Brown added.
Higgins has reached over 1,000 yards in two of his first four seasons. In his rookie season in 2020, Higgins nearly reached the 1,000-yard mark with 908 yards. Higgins was limited by injuries in 2023, but still had 656 yards in 12 games. There’s no telling what kind of production he could have had with a full season.
Despite the injuries in 2023, Higgins has proven himself to be a solid receiver. Unfortunately, Brown seems to view him more as a salary cap casualty than someone who should be signed long-term.
What makes Brown’s comments a little concerning is what the team plans to do if it has to offer Chase a new contract. Chase has been one of the best receivers in the game, and he’s still playing on his rookie contract.
Chase has rushed for over 1,200 yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. The Bengals will need to make sure they can pay Burrow and Chase or the team’s offensive attack will be severely degraded.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
