According to Bengals Brass, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins Are Staying Put

The Cincinnati Bengals apparently don't want to break up the band – and that could mean that quarterback Joe Burrow will stick around as the frontman.

During a Feb. 28 media briefing ahead of the 2023 NFL Combine, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin and head coach Zac Taylor shared that they're in maintenance mode rather than import mode, meaning the team is looking to keep most of its roster – including Burrow – intact before next season comes around. And why wouldn't they, after a Super Bowl appearance in 2022 and back-to-back AFC North titles over the last two seasons?

"We're heading into a phase of our roster building that is going to be more focused internally than externally. It doesn't mean we won't be looking for opportunities externally, but we won't be trying to build our team from the external UFAs (unrestricted free agents)," Tobin said. "We're going to be trying to maintain our team with the guys who have proven they belong and can effectively win for the Cincinnati Bengals. While we always look at free agency, it might be a little different mindset."
"We're not looking to start over right now," he added.

Player maturity could be key for the Bengals making a third straight playoff run, Tobin said.

"We felt this team really came together – probably a little better team overall than the team last year because we were a little more mature in our processes and some of our players had a little more experience in big game situations," Tobin said. "And we've got guys with big game experience coming back next year, so our expectations are super high."

Tee Higgins rumors are 'ridiculous'

The Bengals have a number of players up for contract extensions during this off-season, including wide receiver Tee Higgins. Speculation that the Bengals will trade Higgins has been rampant, but Tobin directly shut that down quickly, calling the rumors "ridiculous."

"I’m in the business of making the Cincinnati Bengals better, and so trading Tee Higgins is not on my mind," Tobin laughed. "In my opinion, Tee Higgins is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals, so the trade stuff is literally ridiculous right now."

Duke Tobin on Tee Higgins 👀 pic.twitter.com/PVivw1aRxC

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 28, 2023

Taylor echoed Tobin's thoughts.

"When you see the rumors floating around, it's nonsense. At the end of the day, I do get to call the plays, and it's fun having weapons out there, and you don't really want to give those up," Taylor said.

The Bengals drafted Higgins in 2020, signing his rookie contract for four years and $8.6 million. In 2022, the receiver caught 74 passes in 2022 and had more than 1,000 yards in both 2022 and 2021. With that production, Tobin insisted that Higgins was central to the team's recent success.

"He’s exactly what we’re hoping for when we draft a guy – a guy we draft who fits a role that we develop in a lot of ways, does it the right way, fits into our culture," Tobin said. "And Tee is an exceptional football player. I envision him being a part of what we’re doing going forward for a long time."

Joe Burrow is 'very valued'

Part of the reason there's been so much speculation about which Bengals the front office will keep is because of Burrow. Burrow currently is in negotiations about his own contract extension, and because that could command a hefty salary – potentially one of the NFL's highest – reporters and fans have been doing napkin math for the non-quarterback positions.

Other deals might be announced first, but Burrow remains the priority, Tobin said.

“Maybe it’s the first piece to come. Maybe it’s the last,” Tobin said of the Burrow deal. “We’ll work toward it. I don’t think we’re totally handcuffed with some other things as the process plays out.”

"We're going to spend to the cap."

💰💰💰@Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin on Joe Burrow and future contracts in Cincinnati.#Bengals | #RuleTheJungle | #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/65yHxMMpJz

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) March 1, 2023

"We have that big nucleus of what our team has been about, and that's just what we've got to navigate now," Taylor added. "We've got a lot of great players that are deserving of money – young and old – and we'll sort through how all that works out."

Burrow's current contract, which he signed in 2020 out of the draft, expires in 2024 and is worth more than $36 million per year. The quarterback, who has said that he wants to remain a Bengal for life and contend for a Super Bowl title each year, is expected to sign a contract extension over the summer. Some experts predict that it could be close to $50 million annually for five or six seasons, making him one of the NFL's highest-paid players at the position. Spotrac puts Burrow's market value at $44 million.

Tobin said that he's using comparative tools to calculate Burrow's value, but there's really only one Joe Burrow.

"I'd compare Joe Burrow to Joe Burrow," Tobin said. "When you get to that level, people start using you as the comparative and no longer comparing you to other people."

"He's proven that he is a championship-caliber quarterback. But it's not a one-person game, and we have to be ready to put the pieces around him that can facilitate his success," Tobin also said.

Longtime sports agent Leigh Steinberg recently told Bengals.com reporter Geoff Hobson that he's expecting the team to strike a deal with Burrow.

"Honestly, this appears to be a very happy marriage," Steinberg said. "I don't think this is going to be a difficult contract. It may be complex, but not difficult. I'd imagine you won't hear anything about it until it's done."
Taylor is all in on retaining his star play-maker.

"He [Burrow] is a big part of what we do, and we want to make sure that we're always communicating with him. He's very valued," Taylor said.

Both Tobin and Taylor said that the deal could take time to sort out.

"I think we've got an idea of what that deal's gonna look like, whether it's done in completion or not, and I don't have predictions on when something might get done," Tobin said. "It's of vital importance to us, it's important to Joe, and we'll work to try to get it accomplished."

"We're gonna spend. We're gonna spend to the cap."


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