Though Cincinnati Bengals fans probably didn’t need it confirmed, it’s always nice to hear the team intends to keep some of its biggest names.
That goes beyond just looking at Joe Burrow’s extension, too.
Two other key Bengals besides Burrow are now extension eligible and the team has eyes on getting both done if possible, too.
Though they don’t get nearly as much attention, both linebacker Logan Wilson and wide receiver Tee Higgins came up during discussions at spring league meetings this week.
“They’re all great guys that we love having and want to have for a while, a long time on our team,” executive vice president Katie Blackburn said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “So it’s just a process that always plays out however it plays out. We’ll be looking at all of the options and alternatives and thinking about what we might be able to get done.”
Both have seemed like question marks due to the other upcoming or current salaries at the positions. At linebacker, Wilson will command a big contract and the team just paid up Germaine Pratt.
At wideout, Ja’Marr Chase will get one of the biggest contracts in the league at his position and for at least 2023, Tyler Boyd has a big cap hit, too. Whether the Bengals want to pay No. 1 money to both Chase and Higgins long-term is hard to say.
Despite the hurdles, keeping Burrow, Higgins and Wilson — with Chase extension eligible a year from now — is far from impossible. Some of it might hinge on the exact structure of Burrow’s extension, but it’s entirely doable.
