Bengals will have "busy and pricey summer" with recent contract news
Getting Joe Burrow paid is the top priority for the Cincinnati Bengals, at least according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. During a Tuesday morning segment on SportsCenter, Fowler spoke of the Bengals' contract situation with Burrow.
""I'm told the Bengals have made their initial push to sign Joe Burrow," Fowlers said. "They have started that negotiation process with Burrow and his agents. Now, for a deal this complex there will be a lot of back and forth. Probably a lot of counterproposals, but the ball is at least rolling, and I'm told the Bengals' plan is clear. They want to get Joe Burrow done so that they can also focus on the core. Tee Higgins is a wide receiver they consider elite that they would like to sign to an extension. Linebacker Logan Wilson as well. So a very busy and pricey summer for the Cincinnati Bengals.""
- Jeremy Fowler
The quote above is courtesy of Russ Heltman of Sports Illustrated.
What this quote tells us is that Burrow is the top priority, to the surprise of no one. Since joining the Bengals in 2020, the franchise has become a Super Bowl contender. They've reached the last two AFC Championship games and made it to the Super Bowl during Burrow's second season at the helm.
Bengals want to extend Burrow, Higgins, and Wilson
The other key part of this quote is that the team is wanting to get deals worked out for Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson. Both guys were drafted in the 2020 draft with Higgins going in round two and Wilson in round three. They've both been monumental pieces for the team during their three years in town and it makes sense that Cincinnati wants to keep them.
As Fowler noted, it'll be "a very busy and pricey summer for the Cincinnati Bengals" and he isn't lying. It's going to be hard to not only get extensions mapped out for these three players but also have money left over to pay Ja'Marr Chase next offseason, not to mention D.J. Reader.
Next. Grading Every Bengals First-Round Pick Under Zac Taylor. dark
The Bengals are entering a very crucial chapter for this era and they can't make mistakes here. Overpaying a player or two could result in them missing out on a key free-agent who could have helped them win a title. They also have to ensure that they hit on nearly all of their draft picks.
Fortunately, Burrow's contract won't kick in until 2025 so they have two more years of him on a relatively cheap deal to get that first Super Bowl win.