Bengals clear cheapness in NFLPA report card is bad news for Joe Burrow’s wish

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals enter this offseason with several issues they must resolve. Tee Higgins becomes a free agent in a matter of weeks (unless the team slaps him with yet another franchise tag), contract extension talks with Ja'Marr Chase loom large, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is looking for a new deal of his own. If the team doesn't navigate all three situations correctly, it'll have a very hard time keeping up in an ultra-competitive AFC, where Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen reign supreme (not to mention CJ Stroud and Justin Herbert).

But the annual NFLPA survey released on Wednesday should have fans feeling more than a little uneasy. Sure, there are some high points: Cincy received high marks for its training staff, strength coaches and travel, all of which received an A-, while head coach Zac Taylor got an A. But the most important part of any organization is its ownership, and there the Bengals have plenty of room for improvement.

NFLPA survey casts doubt on Bengals' ability to maintain and grow its talented core

Whenever these surveys are released, it seems like some organizations are either graded poorly or have not improved on the same categories every year. This latest survey can be a significant drawback for the Bengals when it comes to players with families, potentially influencing their decision to stay with or join the team.

At the end of the day, money talks as always, and most players will understandably head to wherever they're offered the most. But the Bengals have for years had to fight the perception that they're a cheap organization under owner Mike Brown. Burrow took that public, stating he wants both Higgins and Hendrickson back during Super Bowl week and putting pressure on both Brown and director of player personnel Duke Tobin.

This latest survey will put even more pressure on the Bengals organization to do what is needed to keep the team competitive in the AFC. They already made it to the Super Bowl not too long ago, and their title window isn't closed yet. If the Bengals don't take this latest survey and Burrow's plea seriously, then it could lead to the QB reassessing his long-term future with the team.