Joe Burrow Says Bengals Must Re-Sign Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase: ‘We Have the Space’

After a disappointing 3-1 start to the season, the Cincinnati Bengals spent much of the year trying to recover from their early mistakes. Injuries to key players and bad luck leading up to their Week 11 bye put them in a deep hole—one they nearly climbed out of in Week 18 before falling just short of the playoffs.

Statistically, quarterback Joe Burrow had one of the greatest seasons of his career, despite playing in a year where Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen also posted career-best performances. Burrow finished the season with 43 touchdown passes and 4,918 passing yards. With a passer rating of 108.5, he proved why he secured a five-year, $275 million extension in 2023.

Burrow is locked in with the Bengals through 2030, but now the team must decide how to keep the core around him intact if they hope to make another Super Bowl run. Key players like Trey Hendrickson, wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, and tight end Mike Gesicki all need new contracts, and the Bengals have yet to indicate who they will prioritize.

During an appearance on First Take this morning, Burrow made it clear that keeping Higgins and Chase in Cincinnati should be a priority. He praised both receivers and emphasized their impact on the team.

“Everybody sees what [Chase] does on the field week in and week out for us,” Burrow said. “He’s a guy that continues to make big-time plays every single time he touches the field. When you have a guy like that, you can’t let him leave.”

Burrow also had high praise for Higgins, stressing his importance to the Bengals’ offense.

“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 on him; they have to worry about Tee Higgins on the other side of the field. We have the (salary cap) space where we need to keep both of them.”

Burrow is right—the Bengals’ success depends largely on him. If they hope to remain competitive, they must listen to their franchise quarterback, especially when it comes to the offense.