Joe Burrow sends bold message to NFL teams after Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins' historic contract extensions

Since the conclusion of the 2024 campaign, the Cincinnati Bengals' front office has been pressured by their fans and quarterback Joe Burrow to hand contract extensions to wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

For nearly two months, they stood their ground and refused to cave in, even franchise-tagging the latter for the second year running, sparking speculation that they wouldn't hand them new deals.

However, those fears proved unfounded as the Bengals handed Chase a four-year, $161 million deal, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. They also gave Higgins a four-year, $115 million contract, tying his long-term future to the franchise.

Few were as ecstatic as Burrow about the wide receivers getting paid, and in the aftermath of the announcement, he fired a warning to the rest of the league about what to expect from the Bengals. During a conversation with reporters at the Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Tuesday, he said:

"For the next four years, you know what you're going to get from us and we're going to be right here. We're paying the right guys. Guys who work really hard for what they have. Guys who aren't going to get complacent or anything like that. Guys who really care about the product they put on the field, and care about the fans and the organization and the people in the locker room. We've got the right guys."

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Nick Wright not as thrilled as Joe Burrow about Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins' extensions

In Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals have one of the most potent offensive trios in the NFL. However, analyst Nick Wright believes the combined AAV of their contracts, which amounts to $123.8 million, is detrimental to Cincinnati's odds of building a roster that can compete for the Super Bowl. On Tuesday's edition of FS1's "First Things First," he said:

"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."

The Bengals have already felt the effects of the trio's hefty price tag. The team asked defensive end Trey Hendrickson, the league's sack leader last season, to find a new team as they cannot afford to hand him a new deal and do not want to lose him for nothing in a year.

The cost of retaining Burrow, Chase and Higgins has left Cincinnati with no choice but to ace the draft and find impactful veterans willing to sign team-friendly deals to have a roster capable of embarking on deep runs in the playoffs.