Joe Burrow on Tee Higgins: ‘He is a need’

Burrow had shared he was going to do “what it takes” to keep wide receiver Tee Higgins, and on Wednesday, he doubled down on that, saying “Tee is a need.”

»RELATED: Burrow says privacy violated in more ways than one in home burglary

“He’s very important,” Burrow said when asked why he’s so important. “I think you just look at, it’s not even just his production. It’s his presence, it’s how he comes to work every day, it’s how the defenses have to play us when he’s out there. Tee plays such a big part in what we do here and has for five years now that I don’t think you can quite put a value on that I would say.”

Cincinnati has been unable to come to an agreement on a long-term deal with Higgins the past two years, leading to him playing on a franchise tag worth $21.8 million this season.

The Bengals made clear Ja’Marr Chase was the priority after Burrow’s big contract extension last September, and negotiations are expected to continue regarding his future this offseason, but during a triple-crown pursuit this season, Chase’s price likely has risen.

So, what if the front office can’t make it work with Higgins?

“I’d be very disappointed in that, yeah,” Burrow said without hesitation.

In the past, Burrow has talked about the business of the game and understanding the organization can’t keep everyone. That wasn’t the case this week in his comments about Higgins, though Cincinnati clearly has a lot of work to do with the roster this offseason, particularly on the defensive side where the team has been historically bad.

»RELATED: Bengals begin prep for Titans, former offensive coordinator

Burrow seems to be hinting at a possible contract restructure to make it all work, but clearly the money can’t all go to two wide receivers.

“We’ll see after the season and talk, have those discussions about what we feel needs to happen and things everybody has to do to do what we want, keep the guys around we need and bring in the guys that we need to fill some holes that we need,” Burrow said. “So, those discussions will be had at the end of the year.”

The Bengals have been able to do more with Chase when Higgins also is on the field, and Chase is earning “every penny” he has coming to him whenever he gets his next contract, Burrow said.

Few know the worth of Burrow, Chase and Higgins to the Bengals offense more than Titans head coach Brian Callahan, who was a part of bringing along all three during his five-year stint as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator prior to this season.

Callahan shared with local media, in a conference call Wednesday, that he could see how Burrow and Chase in particular were going to be special after their first season together in the NFL in 2021, when they helped lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl. Callahan asked them to sign a picture he had printed of them together so at some point he could look back when they are in the Hall of Fame and remember he was part of their journey.

Somehow, they seem to get better every week.

“I think Joe’s playing as good as anybody in the NFL right now,” Callahan said. “If I had a vote, he’d be my MVP. I can’t see anybody playing quarterback better than he’s playing right now, and then Ja’Marr, he just continues to do things that everyone thought he could do and then he does something more and their performance has been incredible.. … They’ve only gotten better. So, it’s fun to watch and terrifying to get ready for.”

Told about Callahan’s comments regarding their future as Hall of Famers, Burrow said he thinks Callahan “was probably right” and credited his former offensive coordinator for the “huge role” he played in his career.

Burrow wasn’t ready to comment on Callahan’s vote of confidence in him as the league MVP.

“I think we got some more games before I have any comment on that, I would say,” Burrow said.

The question now is whether Burrow will be impacted by the soreness he is feeling in his left knee, which he tweaked Monday on a sack in the fourth quarter. He said it’s “all good” and he will be alright, but he was estimated as a limited participant in a late walkthrough Monday, and Burrow said his status Thursday would depend on how he felt in the morning.

Burrow doesn’t need to practice to play Sunday, but a sore knee just adds to a short week of preparation coming off Monday Night Football, on top of the added frustration of the break-in, which occurred while he was playing in Dallas. He didn’t like that “way more is already out there” about his personal life than he would want or care to share.

“It’s definitely been difficult this week, but for the most part, I’m pretty good at it, considering during the season, you don’t really have a personal life,” Burrow said. “It’s kind of all football. Obviously, things come up that you don’t expect, and when those come up you try to do your best to handle them quickly and be able to move on from it and focus on ball.”

SUNDAY’S GAME

Bengals at Titans, 1 p.m., FOX, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7