‘Pay everyone’ – Joe Burrow piles on the pressure as Cincinnati Bengals face crunch offseason receiver question

Joe Burrow wants the Cincinnati Bengals to pay their stars.

A number of the team’s best players – including receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and defensive end Trey Hendrickson – are all in line for new contracts.

Burrow, who has already been paid what he deserves with a massive five-year, $275million extension signed in 2023, is now going to bat for his teammates.

Last week, he suggested the Bengals have the cap space to keep all three of Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson, as well as tight end Mike Gesicki.

And he cited the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles as the perfect example for putting together an All-Star squad.

“The Eagles are paying everybody,” the two-time MVP finalist said.

“That seems like the way. Whatever they’re doing.”

The franchise quarterback was doing the media rounds during Super Bowl week, doubling down on his hopes of keeping his stars around him after missing the post season.

One option could be for Burrow himself to make adjustments to his deal own deal, a move that would likely involve a contract restructure just two years on from his mega deal.

“I want to make it happen,” Burrow said.

“Everybody involved – Trey, Tee, Ja’Marr, Mike G – we all want to stay together.

“When you have guys that are motivated like that I think you can get those things done.”

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In an interview with the Pardon My Take podcast, Burrow was asked to explain how his own $275m deal could be altered and help give the Bengals extra salary cap flexibility to hand Chase and Higgins the lucrative extensions they’re seeking.

“You could convert some of the money to a signing bonus, which will lower the cap hit,” Burrow said.

“You can push some of the money to the back end of the contract. That lowers the cap hit.

“And then when you get to the back end of the contract, you can restructure it and convert it to a signing bonus.

“You can also just take less money.”

Burrow went on to point out that most players convert the money into a signing bonus, a method he is also apparently willing to pursue.

The 28-year-old spent a fair amount of time on his recent Super Bowl LIX media tour discussing how the Bengals should approach an important offseason.

He has been particularly vocal about keeping receiver Higgins on the team.

The 26-year-old has been limited by injuries over the last couple of seasons, but is projected to be the top free agent if he hits the
market

He has 330 catches for 4,595 yards in his 70 games played across five season – marking him out as a potential number one receiver for teams in need at the position.

Chase, meanwhile, is coming off a historic triple crown season, which saw him lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions.

He will surely be key to any hopes of a playoff run next season, with Cincinnati having missed the postseason in 2024.

Hendrickson also wants a new deal after he led the league in sacks and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.

Burrow’s contract is the one the Bengals have to work around because it occupies the most cap space – he is projected to have a $46.3m cap hit in 2025.

According to ESPN, Cincinnati are projected to have $45.9m in cap space, but that is before any money gained around veteran contracts, or the costs of signing players to start a season in addition to a new draft class.

With much to sort out ahead of the 2025 season, Burrow believes the Bengals should look to replicate what the newly-crowned Super Bowl champions have done.

A 9-8 season resulted in a missed postseason for Burrow and his teammates, keeping the band back together is the quarterback’s preferred option, meaning the next few weeks will be an interesting watch.