You can’t underestimate the influence of Joe Burrow on the Cincinnati Bengals organization. He might be the only person that has enough authority to convince the team's notoriously skinflint ownership to sway from their typical traditions.
The Bengals are known for being cheap when it comes to negotiating contracts and extending players long term. They couldn’t afford to even attempt to low-ball Burrow when it was his time to negotiate. And now Burrow’s using his power to further force the front office to break its old habits, with recent reports suggesting that Cincy is set to pony up $70 million total or more to keep receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins around.
The #Bengals have made significant progress on massive contract extensions with star WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and both could be finalized in the coming days, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2025
There is work to be done. But Joe Burrow's wish is close to coming true. pic.twitter.com/rcIq2HHDiz
Cincinnati is reportedly growing close to a deal with both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase to keep them in the Queen City long term. Only Burrow would have that kind of impact. It might be the one thing that helps Cincinnati return to the top of the AFC.
Joe Burrow truly the face of the Bengals as he influences Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase contract negotiations
The fact that Burrow actually found a way to convince Mike Brown to keep the team's top two receivers is truly remarkable. Once upon a time, Brown said, “You can’t just pay people willy nilly”. That was only a year ago, before Higgins had nearly 1,000 receiving yards while missing a handful of games last season.
Now he has no choice but to pay everyone “willy nilly” as it’s the only thing that will keep Burrow happy. The problem with Brown is, he didn’t realize there’s a way to keep everybody happy and rich; just ask the Philadelphia Eagles.
The problem with how the Bengals have handled this stalemate with two of its top players is that they've waited until the last possible moment, their unwillingness to pay up in fact costing them more money in the long run. With what Chase did this past season, I’m sure Cincinnati wished they would have re-signed him last year; they could have gotten a better deal. It also means they could have gotten away with the excuse of letting Higgins walk in free agency.
But after mishandling the negotiations the last couple of seasons, Burrow had no choice but to add pressure to the front office. The only thing worse than overpaying for players is having your highest paid player disgruntled.
That’s why Burrow’s influence is so strong. No other player in the history of the Bengals could have forced the front office and Mike Brown to figure it out. For their sake, hopefully it does turn into championships.