After making back-to-back AFC Championship Games with a healthy Joe Burrow, the Bengals’ playoff hopes are fading.
The Bengals have three players leading the league in six different categories:
- Burrow is putting up MVP numbers. He leads the league in total passing yards (3977) and touchdown passes (36).
- Ja’Marr Chase is on pace to win the triple crown. He’s racked up 102 receptions, 1,413 yards and 15 touchdowns.
- One of the few bright spots on one of the worst defenses in the league, Trey Hendrickson, leads all defenders with 12.5 sacks.
Credit and blame
Burrow has found himself on the wrong side of history this season.
The 28-year-old is potentially on track to be the first quarterback to miss the playoffs despite being first in passing yards.
Burrow also became the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions in back-to-back losses.
Going back to the Bengals’ two playoff runs with Burrow under center, their defense never gave up over 25 points in seven playoff games.
Credit Burrow’s playoff performances and the Bengals’ stout defense for getting them to a Super Bowl appearance.
Blame Burrow’s contract and a bottom-three defensive team (27.6 points per game) for the Bengals’ shortcomings this season.
This is a prime example of football being a team sport because credit and blame go everywhere.
One could say, “Burrow’s talent is being wasted.”
While Burrow’s massive contract extension does not directly correlate with the defense’s shortcomings, it does prevent the Bengals front office from re-signing Burrow’s teammates or signing notable free agents.
Take Tom Brady‘s contract history. While he could have easily been the highest-paid player, for most of Brady’s career, he took pay cuts to help re-sign key players. And, of course, that resulted in seven Super Bowls.
The Future
Just like any other NFL team, decisions will have to be made.
Seven starters from the 2021 Super Bowl team have left. The Bengals lost Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd, who each had multiple 1,000-yard seasons at their respective positions. Starting tight end CJ Uzomah also left.
On the defensive side of the ball, DJ Reader and three secondary players, Chidobe Awuzie, Eli Apple and All-Pro selection Jessie Bates, are no longer on the team.
The future of the Bengals’ top two wide receivers, Chase and Tee Higgins, is in jeopardy.
With two years left of his rookie contract, Chase had a stint of holding out before rejoining the team. He can make up to $21 million in his rookie contract option year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
Higgins, who has tallied at least 900 receiving yards in four full seasons, is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 after being under the franchise tag this season.
With Chase yet to be extended and Higgins set to hit the open market in 2025, the Bengals front office is stuck with several messy situations.
Burrow signed his contract extension in 2023, which will begin in 2025. The 2024 offseason gave the Bengals a one-year window to extend key players like Chase and Higgins before Burrow’s extension begins.
Now, they could potentially lose Higgins in free agency next March.
They also may not have the cap space to meet Chase’s contract negotiations. Chase wanted more money to be paid out earlier in his contract, so Burrow’s contract next year will incur a cap hit of nearly $30 million.
While Burrow is enjoying an MVP campaign, the Bengals are stuck financially. And as strong as the Burrow-Chase bond is, contract discussions are an unwritten rule not to be discussed in the locker room.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1843013286998245876
One does not talk about how much another person makes. But perhaps considering how close Burrow and Chase are, Burrow could leave some money for his friend.
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