Bengals owner explains how Joe Burrow's contract impacts re-signing star WRs

Burrow's top two weapons are set to earn big paydays in the not-too-distant future. The wideout duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been major catalysts for the Bengals offense. 

Higgins will be a free agent after the 2023 season and Chase is eligible for an extension at the season's end. Chase's current deal ends in 2024, but the Bengals are sure to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2025 season. Still, a long-term deal needs to get done.

Higgins has caught 148 receptions in the past two seasons for 2,120 yards and 13 touchdowns. Chase has been even better to the tune of 168 receptions for 2,501 yards and 22 touchdowns in the last two years. In short, Higgins and Chase will command big contracts. 

"It's hard to fit everybody in," Brown explained. "It's impossible to fit everybody in at the rate they wish they could be paid." You lose some guys every year, there's attrition. You try to work around it and we've done that for a few years now, but free agency and the draft, resigning, trying to fit all that into the pie. A piece for everybody. But it's almost impossible to get everybody to think they got the piece that they want."

Brown was then specifically asked how much of the piece of pie will be allocated to Chase and Higgins.

“I don’t know how these pieces are going to fit just yet,” Brown said. “We have a pretty good idea of how much we have to spend and how it's accounted for in the cap. And we don’t know where these other deals will end up. But we know we will be pressed to fit them all in.”

They'll be pressed to fit them all because of Burrow's looming contract extension. Burrow's contract is the first domino that has to fall in order for Brown and the Bengals to have a better picture of how much cap they have left to retain Higgins and Chase.

There's room for optimism that the Bengals can keep Burrow, Chase, and Higgins. Last month, Chase said that money isn't Burrow's No. 1 priority, winning is. 

"At the end of the day, I don't think Joe's really too worried about how much money he's gonna make because he's already making a tremendous amount," Chase said. "But it'll work out for itself. It'll all work out. I think Joe knows what he wants and how he wants to set up his contract to keep some of his weapons around him. And I think that's the biggest part for him."

Perhaps part of Burrow's contract negotiations has hinged on how Cincinnati plans to proceed with the rest of the salary cap once his extension is signed. Burrow likely wasn't reassurance that once he signs on the dotted line the Bengals will do everything they can to bolster their offense and keep it elite. 

Some may perceive Mike Brown's comments about the Bengals salary cap as pessimism, however, Brown was just giving a steady dose of reality about the situation. It's hard to keep great players together if they all want top dollar.