Joe Burrow pressures Bengals GM Duke Tobin not to try anything funny with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase

As Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase might be aware, Joe Burrow is starting to enter a stage of his career similar to what Patrick Mahomes had to go through over the past few years. As the years have continued, Burrow's surrounding playmakers' futures have only become murky. By the start of 2026, Chase and Higgins could be gone, much like Mahomes lost Tyreek Hill.

However, Burrow is doing everything he can to ensure that doesn't happen. Speaking on Thursday's "First Take," Burrow was clear with his expectations for Chase and Higgins' futures. He did not want general manager Joe Tobin to allow Chase and Higgins out the door.

"He (Ja'Marr Chase) is a guy that continues to make big-time plays every single time he touches the field," Burrow said (Timestamp: 02:40). "So when you have a guy like that, you can't let him leave."

When asked about Higgins, Burrow said:

"That's a guy that we got to keep, too," Burrow said (Timestamp: 02:51). "When he's on the field, he's a game changer for us. Not only for our team, but for Ja'Marr. Teams can't just focus in on him and double him and cloud him. They have to worry about Tee Higgins on the other side of the field. We have the space that we need to keep both of those guys."

It also falls on Chase and Higgins to meet the team in the middle. If Chase and Higgins draw their lines in the sand too harshly, they could arguably be at fault for the separation as much as Tobin.

Exploring whether Tee Higgins or Ja'Marr Chase deserve priority in negotiations

Ja'Marr Chase at Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Imagn

Both receivers carry plenty on their shoulders for the Cincinnati Bengals, but the team might ultimately be forced to choose whether to keep one or the other. One can reasonably hope that the Bengals will retain both if they can. However, the reality is that resources are finite.

At this point, the question is whether the team would prefer to keep Tee Higgins if they can get him for cheaper than Ja'Marr Chase or if they should simply go all-in on Chase and attempt to find a rookie to slot in for Higgins.

It comes down to how they line up on the depth chart. Since Chase has outproduced Higgins consistently throughout his career while facing the top cornerbacks in the league, he should be the priority. However, if Chase is asking for far too much compared to Higgins, the Bengals might not have a choice but to experiment with Higgins as the top receiver and draft a top rookie.

There are plenty of scenarios, but the Bengals are running out of time as Higgins' franchise tag is in its final weeks and Chase heads into his contract year.

Which path will Cincinnati take with Joe Burrow's right and left-hand men?