“Of course,” This was Joe Burrow’s answer last month when he was asked whether he was willing to restructure his $275M contract to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the Jungle. It wasn’t a surprise at that time, considering he carries a $46M cap hit in 2025. Sacrificing some part of his contract would have definitely helped the Bengals a lot. But it seems they didn’t need any financial maneuvering to keep Chase and Higgins on board. However, there’s a belief that the Bengals might be pulled into discussing Burrow’s contract yet again pretty soon. And this time, it will be a completely different conversation.

Spotrac tweeted, “Joe Burrow has 3 years, $107.75M of practical guarantee remaining on his contract with the #Bengals.” This came hours after the Bengals front office made Ja’Marr Chase the first receiver ever to earn a $40M per year contract. $5M more than the former highest-paid receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson. And they didn’t stop there. After breaking the bank on Chase, the Bengals outdid themselves by making Higgins the highest-paid WR2 in NFL history.

His 4-year, $115M extension after the Bengals chose to franchise tag him a month ago came as a surprise. So, seeing the Bengals reset the receiver market on two of their most prized assets. Spotrac has a wild prediction that they feel could come true once Burrow’s $275M contract is over. They believe Burrow will soon be knocking on the Bengals’ front office door asking for a $70M per year extension. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

Spotrac actually has a point, you know. Despite the Bengals missing out on the playoffs last season, Burrow led the league in passes completed (460), receiving yards (4,918), and TDs (43). So, obviously, he will have all the leverage to ask for a mammoth $70M extension—making him the highest-paid NFL player ever. Now, you might be thinking, what if he doesn’t carry on this form? What if there’s a drop-off in his productions? Well, if you are thinking that way, you’re probably not a Bengals fan and giving in to wishful thinking.

Overconfident? Nope. It’s just that there’s a reason why the Bengals splurge astronomical money to retain Burrow’s two biggest offensive weapons.

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins’ negotiations point to a Hollywood ending for Joe Burrow

Last season, Burrow constantly knocked on the doors of the Bengals front office to act up before it was too late. But they didn’t listen and mostly ignored Burrow’s pleas to re-sign Chase and Higgins. So, there was even a time when the two took matters into their own hands to maneuver an extension. Before his triple crown year, Chase was in a ‘hold-in’ where he didn’t participate in any of the Bengals‘ activities in the training camp. However, he ended up breaking that stalemate ahead of the Bengals’ first game last season.

Then, it was the turn of Higgins, who had already been franchise-tagged. But like Chase’s situation, Higgins’ future also remained up in the air. It even led to him asking for a trade, prompting the Bengals to finally wake up. They decided to franchise tag him for the second time until a long-term resolution could be processed. So, as each day passed by, the concerns of the Who Dey Nation grew wider. But then came Sunday, when the Bengals put to bed all the stories and gossip regarding the future of their top 2 receivers.

Chase got a 4-year, $161M extension (making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history). And Higgins’ franchise tag was removed and replaced with a 4-year, $115M contract, keeping the two in Cincinnati until 2029. So, you shouldn’t be surprised if Joe Burrow takes his game to the next level come the 2025 season. Because his wish to continue to play with Chase and Higgins has been granted. Now it’s up to the trio to keep producing the numbers they did last season. Maybe that will be enough for them to win their first Lombardi in 57-year history.