ESPN Analyst Reveals Major Joe Burrow Concern that Should ‘Worry’ Bengals

“If I'm Cincinnati, I'm significantly worried about Joe Burrow,” Tannenbaum recently said on "Get Up." “He sat down with ESPN and Laura Rutledge at the Super Bowl and he talked in great detail about what players should get paid, cap numbers and cash flow, and (now) you’re tagging Tee Higgins for the second consecutive year (and allowing Hendrickson to seek a trade).

“Those guys (should) never, ever leave your building, ever. Tee Higgins needs to get paid, and if I’m Cincinnati, I’m worried about is Joe Burrow all-in here?”

To Tannenbaum’s point, Burrow has subtly hinted in the past that there should be no excuse for not finding a way to sign both Higgins and star WR Ja’Marr Chase to long-term deals.

Back in January, Burrow seemingly put general manager Duke Tobin on notice when he strongly suggested letting Higgins leave would be a big mistake.

“We started this thing together, we came in together and built this thing from the ground up and you don’t want to make a habit of letting great players get out of the building,” Burrow told reporters. “He’s a great player and a guy that does everything the right way and works really hard for it.

“When you have a guy like that, you just can’t let him get out of the building. He’s a one-of-a-kind person, a one-of-a-kind player and one that we really count on and is an integral part of what we do around here. So hopefully we can make that happen.”

If the Bengals do let both Higgins and Hendrickson leave, one has to wonder how it would affect Burrow’s future in Cincinnati.

His five-year, $275 million extension kicks in this season, and it includes an out for him after three years. Burrow could also demand a trade before then if he doesn’t believe the Bengals are making a good-faith effort to surround him with the right players.