Joe Burrow is on the books for the foreseeable future, but plenty of uncertainty currently surrounds the outlook for many other key Bengals players. Cincinnati’s franchise passer spoke on Thursday about the team’s financial situation and his role in helping to keep existing the core intact. 
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Tee Higgins highlights the list of pending Bengals free agents, and Burrow has repeatedly made it clear he views keeping him in place as a vital offseason priority. Higgins is by far the most attractive option set to hit the market at the receiver position, however, and he could approach or even surpass $30MM on a new contract. Retaining the 26-year-old at market value will be challenging given the looming mega-extension which the Bengals were unable to work out with Ja’Marr Chase last offseason.
Burrow also mentioned tight end Mike Gesicki as a pass catcher whom the Bengals should work to retain. The veteran inked a one-year, $2.5MM pact in free agency last year and had a strong debut Cincinnati campaign (65 catches, 665 yards, two touchdowns). He has likely earned a raise as a result, but the same is also true of edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. The 2024 sack leader once again finds himself set to negotiate a more lucrative Bengals pact or entertain the idea of being traded. Burrow said keeping Hendrickson in place will be critical this offseason, while acknowledging a raise will be needed to do so.
“The cap is going up each year,” the former No. 1 pick added during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “We just got new TV deals. And, you know, we all want to stay together, so we’re all going to do what it takes to do that… They’re going to be paid what they’re worth, whether we do it or somebody else. I hope we do it.”
For his part, Burrow also indicated during an appearance on Up & Adams (video link) that he would be willing to restructure his pact to create additional 2025 cap space for the Bengals. As things stand, he is set to carry a $46.25MM cap charge next season; while Cincinnati is projected to sit in the top 10 in cap space this year, lowering that figure would certainly make new deals for Higgins and/or Hendrickson more feasible. It will be interesting to see how Burrow and the Bengals operate over the coming weeks in advance of the new league year in March.
Tee is just such an odd first name
His birth name is Tamaurice FWIW
Restructuring isn’t going to help the team long-term (like a pay cut would).
Quarterbacks notably worse than him are making as much as he is. If anyone should take a pay cut for the sake of building a contending team, it’s ownership.
Another QB playing the role of GM. 38-30-1 says it all.