Burrow’s feelings toward Chase and Higgins remaining in Cincinnati are well-documented. This summer, the wide receivers were embroiled in contract drama, with Chase leaving training camp and Higgins unhappy with the franchise tag, at which point he requested a trade.
The two ended up playing for the Bengals in 2024, but long-term contract issues remained unresolved. Burrow hasn’t stopped striving for his teammates and appeared to send a message to the front office on Tuesday.
“Every time a great player leaves, you wish you could have found a way to keep him,” Burrow said. “You don’t want to make a living by letting great players leave the building. That’s why I think we have to do everything we can to get a deal done early.”
Burrow had a great season in 2024, leading the entire league in completions (423), passing yards (4,641), and passing touchdowns (42) entering the final weekend of the regular season. .
Chase has already set single-season franchise records for receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,612) this season, and is on track to win the Receiving Triple Crown with 16 TDs in Week 18. is currently at the top of the league. league.
Higgins’ 2024 performance has been hampered by injuries, limiting the fifth-year receiver to 11 games, but he also contributed to Burrow’s success with 69 receptions, 858 yards, and 10 TDs. , his recent performance was an astonishing 11 catches. In Week 17, he threw for 131 yards and three scores in a win over the Denver Broncos.
With Burrow running away, the cost of keeping Chase and Higgins long-term has only gone up since last offseason.
It remains to be seen whether Saturday will be the last time this trio will share the field together, but we know where Burrow stands on the issue.
