After throwing for an insane 43 TDs in the 2024 season, Joe Burrow took up the role of the ‘franchise guy’ in the offseason. With one mission and one mission only. Get the Bengals to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both. He didn’t care how they’d do it, he just wanted it to happen. So much so that, when he was on the Breakfast Ball, they asked him if he’d restructure his contract to keep them… JB smiled and said. “Of course!” But he believed in the front office: “I have faith… We have the cap space to get it done. I want to make it happen.”

Now, if you thought Cincy would stick to their old ways, pinching pennies and playing it safe, think again.

Because Burrow won.

The Bengals, long branded as one of the league’s most careful (read: cheap) teams, did something entirely out of character. They opened the vault—wide open. Chase? Four years, $161 million. Higgins? Four years, $115 million. That’s $276 million locked into two receivers, making this one of the boldest financial commitments to a QB-WR trio in recent history.

But not everyone’s celebrating. Critics like FS1’s Nick Wright are already lining up with the “they should’ve picked one” take, arguing that Cincinnati should’ve flipped Higgins for a pile of draft picks. “They haven’t gotten it done,” he said, pointing to the lack of a Super Bowl ring. However, that’s the thing about such moves: they don’t look brilliant until they do.

And if there’s anyone who understands that, it’s Scott Pioli.

This is the man who was sitting in a draft room in 2000, watching Tom Brady’s name get passed over again and again, until the Patriots finally said, “What are we doing?” Pioli was there when New England made the pick that changed NFL history. And now, looking at Cincinnati’s decision to go all-in on Burrow’s weapons, he’s got one thing to say: They did the right thing.

“You know, if you have great players and you have an opportunity to keep those players, you better keep them,” Pioli said on Good Morning Football. He wasn’t just handing out polite praise. This was an outright endorsement of Burrow’s vision for the Bengals. Pioli has seen firsthand what happens when a front office bets on its homegrown talent and builds around a quarterback who knows what he needs to win.

Pioli’s perspective? “The best free agent signs you can do is: sign your own players. Players that you have developed. Players that you have seen within your system. You know their strengths. You know their limitations.” Makes sense. I mean, why risk it on unproven replacements when you’ve got two elite receivers in their prime?

But for the Bengals this isn’t just about numbers on a contract—it’s about control. Burrow watched what happened in 2023 when injuries and a lack of depth turned a Super Bowl-caliber team into an afterthought. So, he knew what was at stake. Now, he can believe again.

Joe Burrow might be the happiest guy in Cincy right now!

And why wouldn’t Joe Burrow be happy? After all, his two favorite weapons just signed on the dotted line, locking in what might be the most dangerous receiver duo in the league through 2028.

Despite being in the moment, Ja’Marr Chase called his ‘guy’ up the second the ink dried. “Hey brother, just did it. See you in four minutes.” Burrow was already waiting, grinning ear to ear. So, you can see, the Bengals didn’t just go for it, they made sure to keep the band together.

Meanwhile, president Mike Brown didn’t mince words: “They have to stop us. That’s hard to do.” He’s not wrong. Defenses already hate lining up against these guys. Now, they’ll be stuck doing it for the next four years. Burrow, Chase, and Tee Higgins combined for a staggering 67% of his league-best passing yards and touchdowns last season. Add in newly signed tight end Mike Gesicki? God bless!

But who better than Burrow to know what this means? “They’re two of the best at what they do,” he said of Chase and Higgins. “That gives you the best chance to go out and win Super Bowls.” Bear in mind: not an SB. Super Bowls. Plural. That’s the expectation now.

And the Bengals front office finally backed it up, pulling off a double move that even the most optimistic fans weren’t sure they had in them. Chase? Expected. Higgins? That one caught people off guard. Even Burrow admitted he wasn’t sure. “I think everybody was confident we’d get Ja’Marr done,” he said. “But to be able to get Tee done along with that speaks volumes.”

The Bengals have watched too many stars leave and thrive elsewhere. Jessie Bates. DJ Reader. So, you can see why Burrow wasn’t going to let Chase or Higgins join that list. And for once, the front office listened. Burrow? He has a promise in return: “For the next four years, you know what you’re going to get from us. And we’re going to be right here.”

However, at the same time, that’s an added pressure on this offense to do good. No chance to falter. Heck, no scope for excuses, even! The Who Dey will say, “We have got the best three to get us deep into the postseason football.” But they won’t be wrong. Wrong would be to let them down after all this. So, let’s see where does JB, Tee, and Chase take the team next season.