Let me clear the air for a moment before Who Dey Nation jumps down my throat.
I’m not suggesting Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase shouldn’t be paid by the Cincinnati Bengals. To put it another way, they have to pick who gets paid—Tee Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase—and they have to make that decision quickly.
I have bad news for fans who wish to see Higgins and Chase get compensated to stay in Cincinnati for the foreseeable future: that’s not a good idea.
You might wonder, why?
To start, everything revolves around one man: Joe Burrow.
If Burrow is as talented as Bengals supporters think he is, he won’t require two receivers with yearly average salaries in the top ten. In the end, Patrick Mahomes won Super Bowl LVIII without even needing one of those.
Let’s clarify one issue. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, Patrick Mahomes has the potential to become the best quarterback in football history. It is inevitable until something awful or unanticipated occurs.
For want of a better description, the man won a Super Bowl throwing to simply a group of players at receiver.
In contrast, Burrow has Chase, one of the best 5 wide receivers in football. We also know that Chase will receive payment. Without a doubt, the Bengals will finalize his agreement during the offseason.
But what they do with Higgins is the key question.
What’s the point, though?
Knowing full well that you shouldn’t be paying Higgins on a long-term contract next year, why would you give him the franchise tag? You only act in this way because you think you can win everything the following season.
Furthermore, the team is not capable of winning everything right now. First and foremost, this club needs to put a lot more effort into their trenches on both sides of the ball. Great if they can manage it while keeping Higgins for a year.
On long-term agreements, however, the formula has stated that you are not have to pay both of these men. It just won’t take place. Let Higgins walk, put money into the trenches, and go draft another wideout makes more sense financially.
I think we all realize that paying Higgins $20–$25 million a year on average is not prudent spending.
Burrow, accompanied by Chase and a supporting cast, is capable of winning. When healthy, Higgins may be excellent, but he is not required.
