They don't need to rush anything. Higgins and Burrow are 2024 FAs so they'll at least lock Burrow up sometime this offseason or even during the season. Chase isn't a FA until 2025.

There's a lot of rumors out there that Burrow doesn't want a Mahomes-like deal. There's also rumors out there that the negotiations will likely start at $60M AAV.

Right. They are going to lose Higgins and they know it. He's more valuable to them to play out this year than trade.

I think the chances of the Bengals keeping both Burrow and Chase are next to zero. There's no way they are handing over a $500 million contract to a QB and a nearly $200 million contract to a WR. Not even taking into account the fact it would be impossible to make it work cap wise, I just can't see them making the massive financial commitment. They are notoriously the cheapest organization in the NFL. It's not happening.

They are saying all the right things, but it's damage control. There's no way both of those guys are getting long term deals.

They might sign Burrow and try to keep the 1st extension year low so they can tag Higgins for 1 year before letting him walk but yeah, they can't keep both him and Chase.

I know it might sound ridiculous, but personally I'd sign Higgins to the extension and trade Chase next year for a haul.

Fat chance in hell Burrow signs a team friendly deal

Thats actually not crazy, minus the fact Burrow probably going to roll with his homie.

Waiting for Akili Smith to get off their salary cap

Are you known aroud here as the guy that doesn't ever know what the **** he's talking about?

It also makes Higgins contract expensive as hell for the team trading for him.

Why not? Burrow suggested a few months ago that he understood that taking the most money would hamstring the team, and that he not only wanted to stay in CIN but he wanted to help the team win. That sounds ana awful lot like he'd be willing to take a team-friendly deal. Maybe not quite as team-friendly as what Pat took, but I think there's a some room in between what Mahomes signed for and what would be a selfish contract.

It's only April dude

Do alphas like I intimidate you?

If they don't keep those two, Brown should sell the team.

I'd be FLOORED if they don't.

You don't break up a duo that young and that accomplished. That's Montana/Rice waiting to happen.

The Chiefs picked their path and it was Mahomes/Kelce. Right, wrong or otherwise, that's the decision they made and that's why they broke up Mahomes/Hill.

I mean I guess you could see them keeping Burrow/Higgins instead but man I doubt it. Higgins is a very good WR but he's not going to the HoF. Chase, on any reasonable curve uninterrupted by injury, absolutely will.

You don't take two guys in their early 20s who are tracking towards HoF resumes and break them up. You scorch the earth around them if you have to but that's the foundation of your franchise for the next decade.

Even Mike Brown knows better.

They'll get both deals done.

Then he is going to have to sign short term contract because of the GTD money