Ex-Jets HC claims Joe Burrow's power could backfire after helping Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase's contracts - "It creates a problem in the locker room"

The Bengals have found a long-term solution to their offense by heeding Joe Burrow's advice and giving contracts to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The quarterback has been vocal about retaining the latter and now he has the wide receivers he has played with since becoming a professional for some time to come. However, there have been concerns raised in many quarters that sinking so much of the salary cap on three players could be counterproductive.

Former Jets head coach Eric Mangini added his voice to the argument by saying that Joe Burrow is not thinking a few years down the road when Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgin's contracts will count against the salary cap. As happy as the quarterback might be to sort out his offensive weapons, the ex-coach claimed on First Things First, he might not be looking at it from the perspective of building the defense and the special teams. Mangini contended,

"He's not necessarily thinking two or three years down the road. He's not necessarily looking at it from a defensive and special teams perspective. He's looking at it from his perspective."

Eric Mangini further added that this has the potential to create problems in the locker room in the future. Because his teammates have now seen how much his words carry weight with the Cincinnati board, they might be upset if he doesn't come out publicly supporting them in the future. The former Jets head coach said,

"But it creates some problems, and it creates some problems too in the locker room, I think potentially, where now, what if an offensive lineman has a contract coming up and he doesn't advocate for that offensive lineman, or a core defensive player comes up who's a friend of his and doesn't advocate for them, and they get cut."

Former Jets HC thinks Joe Burrow's advocacy for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins bad for QB

Eric Mangingi concluded his argument by saying that Joe Burrow is now, therefore, in a different kind of pressure in the locker room and he has brought that upon him by standing up for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He noted,

"So, now he's under a different kind of pressure in the locker room seeing that he does have this power to overrule the salary cap and what guys get paid and it puts him in a difficult situation.”

Co-host Nick Wright also pointed out that the quarterback has also mentioned Mike Gesicki and Trey Hendrickson, with the latter still to agree to the contract with the Bengals.