Joe Burrow wants the current Bengals team to stay together: “We have the cap space to get it done. I want to make it happen”

Despite an MVP-caliber season from quarterback Joe Burrow — who led the NFL in both passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) and an equally impressive effort from wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase — he became the sixth player in the Super Bowl era to win the Triple Crown, leading the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17) — the Bengals didn’t make the playoffs for the second straight season in 2024.

While the reasons for the Bengals not making the playoffs could fill an entirely new article and at least some of the blame has to be attributed to defensive woes, the Bengals still only missed the playoffs this past season by a single game. For that reason, and the fact that the Bengals have plenty of talented players, Joe Burrow wants the current Bengals team to stay together, or at the very least, the crux of the team.

“We have the cap space to get it done. I want to make it happen,” Burrow said via reporter Paul Dehner of The Athletic. “[W]e all want to stay together. When you have guys that are motivated like that I think you can get those things done. Everybody involved Trey, Tee, Ja’Marr, Mike G, we all want to stay together. When you have guys that are motivated like that I think you can get those things done.”

Burrow also said he’s be willing to restructure his contract if that’s what it took to keep the tiger’s share of the team together.

“You could convert some of the money to a signing bonus, which will lower the cap hit,” Burrow told the Pardon My Take podcast, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “You can push some of the money to the back end of the contract. That lowers the cap hit. And then when you get to the back end of the contract, you can restructure it and convert it to a signing bonus. You can also just take less money.”

Burrow cited the newly-crowned NFL Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, as a team to emulate when it comes to paying their best players.

“The Eagles are paying everybody,” Burrow added. “That seems like the way. Whatever they’re doing.”

Tee Higgins, another star receiver for the Bengals alongside Chase, mentioned his willingness to play for the Bengals again next season as well, though he is in line for a new contract alongside other key players like Chase, defensive end Trey Hendrickson and tight end Mike Gesicki.

“I mean, obviously I would love to be there in Cincinnati,” Higgins told FOX19 Cincinnati. I love it here. I love the city. I love the fans. I love the coaching staff, everything in the building. But, hey, it’s not in my control.”

What do you think of that fact that Joe Burrow wants the current Bengals team to stay together? Would you like to see the core of the team remain intact next season? Do you think the current squad is their best chance at making the playoffs and getting to the Super Bowl or do they need to restructure the defense first and foremost? Let us know in the comments.