Joe Burrow is committed to doing his part to keep key players from leaving the Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals find themselves at a crossroads. After upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC three years ago, they almost won Super Bowl LVI. Then, they made it back to AFC Championship the following year, but fell to the Chiefs. Since then, they have finished 9-8 consecutively and missed the playoffs.
They are also facing a huge roster decision this off-season. Wide receiver Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gisecki (Mike G) could leave via free agency, all the while both defensive end Trey Hendrickson and superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase deserve new contracts.
On Wednesday, Hendrickson decided to make his case by appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" and put the entire Bengals organization on blast for poor communication over his contract statement made by their director of player personnel, Duke Tobin.
Duke Tobin has been speaking about contract extensions..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 5, 2025
"I would have preferred to hear about this differently than my dad texting me a tweet..
Obviously the table is being set..
I love to play football and I love for my play to do the talking" ~ Trey Hendrickson #PMSLive https://t.co/1vudxJtMjk pic.twitter.com/V8h18NLgh6
After Hendrickson's appearance on Wednesday, quarterback Joe Borrow made rounds on media row on Thursday. His mission was clear and simple: He wants the Bengals to keep their star players, says he believes they can do it, and he will restructure his contract if necessary to make that happen.
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow keeps putting public pressure on the team: “We need Trey Hendrickson back. We need to give him what he's worth and what he deserves. ... The cap is going up. We just got new TV deals. We all want to stay together."
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 6, 2025
(@via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/C7nfTHAabA
Joe Burrow puts the pressure on the Bengals front office and the ownership to get things done
With every media company converged in New Orleans for Super Bowl this week, the whole world is watching. This was a shrewd move by Burrow to send a message directly to both Duke Tobin and owner Mike Brown. We know the Bengals under Mike Brown have been notoriously cheap, and do not have a stellar reputation.
Since being drafted first overall in 2020, Burrow has elevated the Bengals and is the face of the Bengals. And while it is nice that Burrow is sticking up for his teammates, even he knows that deep inside, there will likely be some roster attrition, even with Burrow volunteering to renegotiate his salary to gain more cap space.
With the Chiefs, Bills and divisional rival Ravens all in the AFC, their Super Bowl opportunities will always be tougher. Still, they already made it to the Super Bowl and their window isn't closed yet. Mike Brown and the Bengals will have to figure out how far they can stretch their money and keep the team together to keep Burrow from losing his faith in the organization.