BREAKING: Joe Burrow sends clear message to Bengals’ front office stating huge demands

Joe Burrow sent a clear message to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday about the importance of retaining wide receiver Tee Higgins, an upcoming free agent.

The Bengals edged out the Pittsburgh Steelers 19-17 at Acrisure Stadium, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive. For Cincinnati to advance, they’ll need both the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos to lose in Week 18 matchups against the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.

With the Bengals’ season potentially nearing its end, Burrow used his postgame press conference to advocate for re-signing Higgins, emphasizing their shared journey.

“We started this whole thing together,” Burrow said of Higgins’ free agency. “We came in together. We built this thing from the ground up. You don’t want to make a habit of letting good players get out of the building. … Tee’s a great player. … You just can’t let him get out of the building.”

Higgins had four receptions for 54 yards in the game, but Burrow’s most impactful contribution might have been his public endorsement of the star receiver. Over 12 games this season, Higgins recorded 73 receptions for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Bengals had applied the franchise tag on Higgins after failing to reach a long-term deal in the offseason. With contract negotiations looming, Higgins even switched his representation last month, signaling his intent to maximize his value.

Cincinnati faces a challenging offseason, as both Higgins and fellow star wideout Ja’Marr Chase are set to command lucrative extensions. Balancing their cap space while retaining key pieces will be a critical test for the team’s front office.