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As Joe Burrow could teach the Bengals in short order, success has a price and in the NFL, winning is only getting more expensive.
Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja'Marr Chase are all playing on rookie deals, and the team is reaching some of the greatest peaks in franchise history. In the not-so-distant future, the team will be forced to open the checkbook.
However, one NFL analyst has claimed that the team could face financial challenges in this regard. Taking to Twitter, PFF analyst Kevin Cole claimed that the team's salary cap isn't an issue. Rather, the team's accounts could lack the necessary funds to pay its stars. Here's how he put it:
"You're going to hear a lot this offseason about how the cash-poor Bengals are thinking about how to store away $200M to extend Burrow, Higgins and Chase."
In another tweet, he went on to explain how the financial gap between owners in the league is reaching a point where the cost of the players could cost organizations their financial health.
"The wealth differences between the Walton's and Brown's of NFL ownership is going to start having real effects on team-building if you require that much cash on hand."
How much time do the Bengals have to pay Joe Burrow, Higgins and Chase?
The biggest priority for any team is the quarterback. The bad news for the team is that Joe Burrow is in the last year of his rookie deal and this time next year, a decision will need to be made.
However, the good news is that the team can still take his fifth-year option, which would buy them a year.
It will be more expensive in the short-term, but much less overall than a full-on contract extension.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins is also in the final year of his deal, but according to Spotrac, there is no fifth-year option available. Last but not least, Ja'Marr Chase still has two years before a fifth-year option needs to be taken or a new contract given to the receiver.
In other words, they'll need to pay or franchise tag Tee Higgins this offseason, take a fifth-year option on Joe Burrow for 2024, and then deal with Ja'Marr Chase that same year. That said, players tend to ask for contract deals earlier, so the days of having quiet, cheap stars could be numbered.
