The Bengals have been under the microscope all off-season. The internet had a lot to say; ‘Bengals can’t pay Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins?’ was the collective chorus of the fraternity the entire time. QB Joe Burrow was not shy about it either. He was out there publicly saying that he wants both his WRs to stay on the team – even if that would mean restructuring his contract. All this time, Cincy was quiet, letting the outside noise grow louder and louder. Then, out of nowhere, the Bengals dropped the news. And after that, all chatter stopped.
After signing big extensions with both Tee and Chase, Cincy now has an answer for all those who were calling out the team. On Thursday night, the Bengals dropped a video on their official X account, featuring all those who questioned their front office. From Mike Florio to Pat McAfee, nobody was spared.
The video opens with Stephen A. Smith saying, “Because let’s face reality… They got to take care of Ja’Marr Chase. They can’t pay him.” Then, it cuts to Mike Florio saying, “The Bengals want to create the impression that they tried. You didn’t try, you failed.” The video also features random tweets from X, adding to the pile of doubters Cincy just silenced.
And honestly, whoever came up with this idea deserves a raise. Cincy used ‘Dark Academia‘ by Gabriel Saban as the soundtrack, making the whole thing even more epic. Now, here’s where it gets even spicier. Pat McAfee, being a man about it, had an epic response to the Bengals’ video. “Bengals Social just dunked on me and a few others…” wrote McAfee, adding a GIF of NBA legend Vince Carter scoring a goal and then celebrating. Pat didn’t stop there, he added another GIF of Steve Carell from The Office, making the whole exchange even funnier.
Bengals Social just dunked on me and a few others… https://t.co/Y0jxiJ85lF pic.twitter.com/MVf3Qi1FVF
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 20, 2025
Cincy used a clip of McAfee from his show, where he was talking about Tee and Chase’s contracts. In the video, he says, “Hey, are you going to be able to get a deal done? You’re not going to be able to. I don’t see how they can.” Well, that was a 10/10 response by the Bengals, but interestingly, the questions for the team’s front office are not over yet. After the contract extensions, there’s another issue analysts are highlighting.
Bengals clap back, but there’s still more to answer
In 2023, Cincy inked a five-year deal with QB Joe Burrow worth $275 million. The 28-year-old became the highest-paid player in history with an average salary of $55 million. So, when this offseason, talks of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase’s contract extensions began, the big question was, like everyone mentioned, how would the Bengals do it? Well, they did it anyhow. Cincy signed a four-year deal worth $115 million with Tee and a $161 million contract extension for four years with Chase. These big contract extensions had everyone doubting their remaining cap space.
“I can’t believe Cincy got Chase and Higgins both done… CONGRATS TO BENGALS FANS… your team is spending. Now… What do they do with the rest of the salary cap? Can Cincy make it back to Super Bowl convo?” wrote Pat McAfee. Because where is the money?
As per Over the Cap, the Bengals now have $26.8 million in cap space. Now, if Joe Burrow was serious about restructuring his contract, he should. Because that’s the only hope for the Bengals now. The team needs more money to figure out other things, like signing DE Trey Hendrickson to an extension. You can’t win the Lombardi with only a strong offense – the defense needs to be equally strong. Philly is the biggest example of that.
Cincy has granted the wish of many, but now with cap space dwindling, they have some major financial decisions ahead. And the important question is how they balance both sides of the ball before entering the next battle.
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