"Don't think Joe Burrow needs best WR duo" - Nick Wright criticizes Bengals for extending Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and hindering championship path

Nick Wright reacted to the news that Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins had signed long-term contract extensions with the Bengals, keeping them with Joe Burrow, by suggesting that this might be a bad move for their championship ambitions. The analyst suggested that Joe Burrow is a great quarterback who does not need the kind of help on offense that he is getting.

Instead, where they need help is on defense. But Cincinnati has less money to spend on that side now given the salary cap implications of extending Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. By making such a lopsided investment on offense, Nick Wright believes that the Bengals are hurting their own cause of winning a Super Bowl. He said (via First Things First on X):

"My point is, I don't think this is the best path forward for them to win a championship. And I think it also it operates as if Joe burrow is not a great quarterback, because I think he's a great quarterback, which means I don't think he needs the best receiver duo in the league, but what he does need is help on defense, because he can't touch the field in those spots."

Salary cap implications of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins contracts

By giving the two wide receivers long-term deals, along with the one their quarterback signed last year, the Bengals ensured that a significant portion of their resources went to this trio. They are now committing upwards of $124 million per year for Joe Burow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the highest in the league, ahead of the Dolphins' Tua Tagovailloa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

The deals restructure the wide receivers' contracts so that there is more cap space left for the 2025 season, but they push back the cap hits over the next three years. Having failed to make the playoffs for the last two seasons, they are going all in on the offense to get there.

However, one of the major reasons they failed to make the postseason in 2024 was because of their defensive frailties. Those might get exacerbated further, especially if they can't bring back Trey Hendrickson, whom they have permitted to seek a trade.

They had a championship-caliber offense this year too but needed defensive reinforcements. But Nick Wright believes doubling down on that philosophy again without addressing the needs on the other side of the ball could come back to bite them as they aim for the Super Bowl.