Cincinnati Bengals

Cameras caught Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow expressing frustration during Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans, and he explained Wednesday it was the result of the high standards he puts in place for himself and his team.

"I hold myself to a high standard," he told reporters while admitting he could have expressed his emotions in a different way. "I expect greatness out of us. When it's not that, I get frustrated."

The frustration in question happened with the Bengals ahead by 16 points and just more than one minute remaining. During a conversation with head coach Zac Taylor, Burrow appeared to say something was "f--king embarrassing" while shaking his head.

"I was just frustrated in the day that we had on offense," Burrow told reporters after the game. "It was too sloppy. We had too many penalties, too many procedural penalties. I had too many turnovers. It was just a frustrating day on offense."

Cincinnati largely cruised to a 37-27 victory, and Burrow threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns. However, he also threw two interceptions during a day that saw Cincinnati turn the ball over four times and commit 14 penalties for 113 yards.

Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins. Tough TD. 😤

📺: #CINvsTEN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/8Y3KBsLvQC

— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024

The mistakes started to pile up and likely would have cost the Bengals had they been playing a better opponent than the 3-11 Titans.

Fortunately for Cincinnati, it still came away with a second straight victory and remained in playoff contention at 6-8. It will likely need to win out and still receive some help to reach the postseason, which won't be easy with a three-game finishing stretch that includes matchups against the 10-4 Pittsburgh Steelers and 9-5 Denver Broncos.

The Bengals are two games behind the Los Angeles Chargers and three games behind the Broncos in the race for the last two AFC wild-card spots, although they lost a head-to-head matchup and tiebreaker against the Chargers.

Burrow and Co. still have a steep hill to climb when it comes to the postseason race, but he has been largely excellent this season and will have the opportunity to put a frustrating performance behind him with a Week 16 game against the Cleveland Browns.

The Cincinnati Bengals will have an easy contact point for working out potential new deals with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Higgins had hired NFL agent Rocky Acreneaux to represent him on his next contract. Arceneaux is notably Chase's agent as well.

Significant Tee Higgins news: Tee Higgins will now be represented by NFL agent Rocky Arceneaux as he seeks his next long-term deal, sources tell me.

Rocky Arceneaux is also Ja'Marr Chase's agent. Arceneaux will now negotiate Chase & Higggins' next contracts this offseason.

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) December 13, 2024

Higgins is eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2024 season while Higgins will play on his fifth-year option in 2025 and can hit the open market in 2026.

This news comes after Higgins parted ways with his former agent, David Mulugheta. Arceneaux is an agent with the Alliance Management Group, who's clients include Chase, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Higgins, who is making $21.8 million in 2024 under the franchise tag, has 45 catches for 581 yards and five touchdowns in eight games for the Bengals. He has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards twice in his career and is an excellent piece alongside Chase in the offense.

Still, Chase is the clear No. 1 receiver and will be paid very well when his time comes. Quarterback Joe Burrow also has an expensive contract so the Bengals will need to evaluate just how much they are willing to pay to Higgins to keep the team in a competitive state.

However, hiring Chase's agent should make negotiations easier for both sides and open the possibility for long-term stability for both players.

Joe Burrow is running a full-court press to make sure the Cincinnati Bengals are aware he wants Tee Higgins to remain on the team beyond this season.

Asked if there would be disappointment within the team if Higgins isn't back in 2025, Burrow said he would "be very disappointment in that" and called the star receiver a player they "need" going forward.

This is the second time this week Burrow has made a point of saying publicly he wants to see Higgins remain in Cincinnati. After Monday's win over the Dallas Cowboys, he brought up Higgins' contract without being asked.

"I'm confident we are going to be able to do what it takes to bring Tee [Higgins] back," Burrow said. "I know that I am going to do what it takes to get him back. So, he can have those talks; those are going to be offseason discussions. I think we are excited about that opportunity."

The Bengals are entering an offseason full of questions, many of which start with their top two receivers. They were unable to get a long-term deal done with Ja'Marr Chase before the start of this season.

Per James Rapien of SI.com, talks between Chase and the Bengals broke down over guaranteed money and injury protections in the contract.

This has always felt like the final season for Higgins in Cincinnati. He is playing on the franchise tag after the Bengals offered him a deal that was reportedly worth less than $20 million per season.

Given all of the issues Cincinnati has on defense, there is a justification for not spending big money for two wide receivers. But the history of the Bengals franchise under Mike Brown's ownership has been one in which they don't tend to pay top-of-the-market money for superstars.

Burrow got his extension when he signed a five-year, $275 million deal in September 2023, but the team has been trending in the wrong direction over the past two seasons.

The Bengals' struggles last season could be attributed to Burrow missing the final seven games due to a wrist injury, but he has been healthy throughout the 2024 campaign and is playing arguably the best football of his career.

Higgins has spent his entire career with the Bengals after being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow opened up about the break-in at his home that occurred when his team was playing against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

"My privacy has been violated in more ways than one," he told reporters Wednesday. "And way more is already out there than I want out there and that I care to share. So that's all I have to say about that.

"We live a public life, and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy. That has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. I'm still learning. I understand that's the life that we choose, doesn't make it any easier to deal with."

Bengals QB Joe Burrow today addressed the burglary at his house Monday night while he was playing in Dallas: pic.twitter.com/7OtOmmEtQl

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 12, 2024

The Associated Press noted that while nobody was injured during the break-in, a police report said "the home was ransacked."

It also said a person employed by Burrow found a shattered window when they arrived at the house before authorities were notified.

Burrow is the latest professional athlete to have their house broken into when they were away. The AP noted Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Mike Conley Jr. and Bobby Portis also had something similar happen to them.

The pattern prompted the NFL and NBA to issue security alerts to their players and teams.

According to the NFL's memo, the homes of athletes have become "increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups."

The NBA's memo said the FBI has connected some of the break-ins to "transnational South American Theft Groups" that are "reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices."

The break-in at Burrow's house happened as he was leading the Bengals to a 27-20 victory over the Cowboys. His touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase with just more than one minute remaining proved to be the difference.

Cincinnati faces the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and his agent, David Mulugheta, have parted ways, according to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"They are no longer working together," Conway wrote. "Higgins is currently playing on the franchise tag and will be seeking a long-term deal in the offseason."

The news comes after ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that Higgins was considering an agent change. He made those remarks amid quarterback Joe Burrow's recently stated confidence that the team could bring the franchise-tagged wideout and impending free agent back into the fold.

"There are rumblings that Higgins is pondering an agent change (he's no longer listed with his previous agent on the official NFLPA site, but he's also not yet listed with a new one), which sometimes indicates a change in the player's negotiating stance. And Burrow's confidence shouldn't be ignored completely, as he's not the type to just say things like that off the cuff. I don't know how this shakes out. I still think it makes more sense for the Bengals to pay Chase, even if that means letting Higgins walk. But the longer it goes without a new deal for Chase, the more expensive the price tag gets."

Higgins, a fifth-year wideout, has caught 45 passes for 581 yards and five touchdowns in eight games this season.

After the Bengals' 27-20 road win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, Burrow said he was confident the team would do what it takes to bring Higgins back.

"Those discussions are ongoing," Burrow said, per ESPN's Ben Baby. "I'm confident that I think we're going to do what it takes to bring Tee back."

He also added: "I know that I'm going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he. We've had those talks. Those are going to be offseason discussions. But I think we're excited about that opportunity."

So it's clear that the superstar franchise quarterback wants Higgins to return. But Higgins is going to get paid whenever he hits the open market. He currently has a market value of $18.8 million over five seasons, per Spotrac.

Despite being a WR2 alongside superstar Ja'Marr Chase, Higgins has 302 receptions for 4,265 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first 66 career games.

Higgins does have a history of injuries that have unfortunately sidelined him at times this year. He missed the team's first two games with a hamstring ailment before sitting three more with a quad injury. But he's never had a long-term ailment and is on pace to play at least 12 games in each of his first five seasons.

Burrow obviously wants him back, and that could perhaps influence the Bengals in opening the bank for him to do so. But Cincinnati also has to pay Chase, who has one year remaining left on his rookie deal after this season. He'll assuredly reset the wideout market and then some after a phenomenal year, and the Bengals also have work to do to fix a defense that's allowed the fourth-most points per game in football.

So we'll see soon enough if something gets done in Cincinnati, but Higgins will be highly sought after regardless. Until then, the Bengals look to keep their playoff hopes alive Sunday when they visit the Tennessee Titans.

The home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was broken into Monday night during the team's 27-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys, according to Karin Johnson and Emily Sanderson of WLWT.

A woman called 911 to say her daughter was staying at Burrow's home and that an intruder was trying to gain entry.

Johnson and Sanderson reported a bedroom window was broken and that the room was "ransacked."

This comes after NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported in November that the NFL alerted players and team security directors to a growing trend of burglars targeting the homes of NFL and NBA athletes.

Pelissero cited a source who said an "transnational crime ring" is at the center of the situation.

"Multiple people with knowledge of the crimes said the perpetrators are nonconfrontational and do not burglarize homes while residents are inside," he reported. "Instead, they use public records to find players' addresses and conduct extensive surveillance. Then, by tracking team schedules and the social media accounts of players and their families, they wait until homes are empty—often during games—and gain access and quickly steal items such as cash, jewelry, watches and handbags, focusing mainly on master bedrooms and closets."

The Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are among the stars who have been victimized.

Professional athletes make for obvious targets because their work schedules are publicized and easily accessible. The NFL revealed its full regular-season schedule in May.

In the case of Burrow, he and the Bengals weren't even in Cincinnati as they traveled to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for Monday Night Football.

The team maintained its slim odds of making the playoffs with the victory. Burrow, meanwhile, continued his monster year by throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns.

Although Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins can become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, quarterback Joe Burrow believes the organization will find a way to re-sign him.

According to ESPN's Ben Baby, Burrow said the following about Higgins' situation: "Those discussions are ongoing. I'm confident that I think we're going to do what it takes to bring Tee back."

Burrow also suggested that he would get involved in an effort to facilitate a new deal between the two sides, saying: "I know that I'm going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he. We've had those talks. Those are going to be offseason discussions. But I think we're excited about that opportunity."

Higgins, 25, has spent his entire five-year NFL career in Cincinnati, but he could potentially be poised to cash in elsewhere during the offseason.

The 2020 second-round draft pick out of Clemson was prevented from hitting free agency last offseason due to the franchise tag, and although he did not initially sign his franchise tender, he ultimately decided to do so when it became clear no trade would materialize.

Unfortunately for Higgins, he is in the midst of his second consecutive injury-riddled season, having missed a total of 10 games over the past two campaigns.

Over his first three NFL seasons, Higgins had two 1,000-yard years, and he averaged about 72 catches for 1,009 yards, and over six touchdowns per season.

However, after missing five games last season, he put up career lows with 42 grabs for 656 yards and five scores.

Higgins is in a similar boat this season, having missed another five games, although he is pacing toward a better statistical campaign with 45 receptions for 581 yards and five touchdowns through eight games.

BURROW TO HIGGINS.

BENGALS NOT DONE.

📺: #CINvsLAC on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/HNgJW672DJ

— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2024

Bengals No. 1 wideout Ja'Marr Chase gets most of the glory since he leads the NFL with 93 receptions for 1,319 yards and 15 touchdowns this season, but Higgins' importance to the team cannot be overstated.

The Bengals are 4-4 when Higgins plays this season, but in the five games he has missed, they are just 1-4.

Higgins helps open things up for Chase and gives Burrow another big-time weapon when opposing defenses key on Chase, meaning he often contributes to winning football even when he isn't putting up big numbers.

That was on full display during Monday night's 27-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys when Higgins had just two catches for 23 yards, while Chase went off for 14 grabs, 177 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle standing between Higgins and a new deal with the Bengals, however, is Chase's need and desire for a new contract.

As of now, Chase is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, and he already made it clear this past offseason that he wants a new deal, as he "held in" throughout much of training camp.

Given the massive numbers Chase has put up this year, he is almost certainly in line to become the highest-paid wideout in NFL history.

The Bengals would likely have to make Higgins one of the highest-paid receivers in the league in order to keep him as well, and it is unclear if they would be willing to do so.

Given their 5-8 record, it is clear that the Bengals have many other needs they have to address, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Additionally, Chad Graff of The Athletic reported this week that the New England Patriots will be "all in" on Higgins and intend to "offer him the moon."

While the Bengals can provide Higgins with a better situation, they may not be able to compete with a team like the Patriots if they are willing to pay him like a top-10 receiver.

After Rob Gronkowski retired, a handful of players contacted him trying to recruit him to their respective teams.

One of those players was Joe Burrow, and he never got a response.

On his podcast, DudesOnDudes, Gronkowski shared a hilarious story about why he ghosted Burrow following his recruiting effort. The legendary tight end said that in the past, he had been fooled by fake phone numbers and didn't want to let his guard down.

"Fast forward I was like, I ain't ever going to let that s--t happen to me ever again. I ain't answering any random numbers," he said. "...I get a text message, it's Joe Burrow. 'I would love for you to come to the Cincinnati Bengals.' I was like, I ain't getting got again. This is nuts, I ain't falling for this s--t."

Gronkowski found out years later that the text from Burrow was legit.

Fool Gronk once, shame on you, fool Gronk twice… you get ghosted, sorry @JoeyB pic.twitter.com/nTxjCvGe37

— DudesOnDudes (@DudesOnDudesPod) December 5, 2024

Gronkowski's story brings up an interesting hypothetical. If he had believed the number was Burrow's, would he have responded? If so, would he have come out of retirement to join the Bengals? Only Gronkowski knows the answer to those questions.

Gronkowski, who first retired in 2019, was willing to come out of retirement to play alongside Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That decision ultimately led to him and Brady winning another Super Bowl together.

Whether he and Burrow would have experienced similar success is up for debate, but it certainly would have been fun to watch.

Burrow and the Bengals could use Gronkowski this season amid their struggles.

Despite an MVP-caliber season from Burrow, who leads the league in passing yards (3,337) and touchdowns (30), Cincinnati is 4-8 and on the cusp of missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

The Bengals would need to win their remaining five games, but even that wouldn't guarantee them a trip to the postseason. They'd also need some help from other teams.

With its chances to make the playoffs slim, Cincinnati will look to close out the season strong and prepare for an offseason of figuring out what needs to change. Perhaps part of the Bengals' offseason plans will include trying to persuade Gronkowski to come out of retirement.

The return on a hypothetical Ja'Marr Chase might be too good for the Cincinnati Bengals to pass up, according to Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame.

Verderame said he spoke with six sources from NFL front offices about the Bengals wide receiver, and "almost all believe Cincinnati would either get a deal equivalent to or likely exceeding what the Kansas City Chiefs got when they traded Tyreek Hill in March 2022."

The Chiefs got five draft picks from the Miami Dolphins when they dealt Hill. The highest of those selections was the No. 29 pick in 2022, which they used to move up and take cornerback Trent McDuffie at No. 21.

Before the 2024 season kicked off, you would've considered an extension for Chase to be a no-brainer. Through his first three seasons, he had 3,717 receiving yards and 29 touchdown grabs.

Ja'Marr Chase with not one, but TWO of the longest TDs from Week 10 ⭐️

(by @DKSportsbook) pic.twitter.com/6KdtkeRM5y

— NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2024

A three-time Pro Bowler already, there's no doubt as to the 24-year-old's standing as an elite pass-catcher.

But the Bengals' performance as a team is raising big questions about what lies ahead.

Cincinnati has invested a lot of draft capital in its defense over the last few years yet it ranks 27th in yards allowed and 31st in scoring. Wide receiver Tee Higgins is headed for free agency. Joe Burrow's salary cap hit climbs from $29.7 million to $46.3 million in 2025, and it only keeps going up from there.

The franchise's championship window hasn't closed for good with Burrow on the roster. It might need a year or two to reset, though.

Flipping Chase for draft picks, especially multiple picks within the first three rounds, would help lay the foundation for the next Bengals team that can contend for a Super Bowl.

In terms of replacing Chase, Cincinnati's front office has displayed an eye for skilled receivers as well. Chase, Higgins and Andrei Iosivas all arrived through the draft.

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. nonetheless questioned the domino effect of the Bengals trading their best wideout and one who has a strong rapport with Burrow.

"That's a move that looks far better on paper than in practice," he argued. "The unintended consequences and locker room fallout are catastrophic. Might as well just trade Burrow, too, if that's the philosophy (don't do that either!)."

Despite signing Burrow to a five-year, $275 million contract, the Bengals are unable to shake their longstanding reputation for being cheap. Trading Chase in lieu of paying him, despite the potential benefits from a team-building perspective, would further reinforce that perception.

Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow is channeling his inner Bruce Wayne with his latest extravagant purchase.

During the premiere episode of HBO's Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North, Burrow revealed that he's now the owner of one of the 10 licensed and fully functional Batmobiles that are sold by Wayne Enterprises Experiences. According to ESPN's Ben Baby, the cost of the replica vehicle is $2.99 million.

"Have I told you I bought a Batmobile?" Burrow told wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase during a practice last week. "I don't get it for like a year, but I bought one."

"Have I told you I bought a BatMobile?" 😂 @JoeyB#HardKnocks In Season with the AFC North on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/PxJJdDkhqx

— NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2024

According to Baby, the vehicle features "a 6.2-liter General Motors engine that produces 525 horsepower, imitation gun turrets, a smokescreen delivery system and a jet engine simulation." However, it shouldn't be expected that flames will shoot out of the tailpipe the way they do in the movies.

The Batmobile will be the latest addition to Burrow's collection of luxury vehicles. Over the summer, he revealed his acquisition of a fully electric truck called the Lordstown Endurance, which was manufactured by Lordstown Motors in Lordstown, Ohio, and features customizations like Burrow's number and the Bengals' team colors painted on the door.

Burrow is the second-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL with an average annual salary of $55 million, so these purchases are drops in the bucket for the 27-year-old.

Unfortunately, there hasn't been much else to celebrate this season for the Bengals, who have a 4-8 record and are one game out of last place in the AFC North. Perhaps Burrow will be able to provide some positive vibes if he fully commits to his Batman persona.

"I think I gotta go all-in and go for like the expensive batsuit," Burrow told Chase.

For now, Burrow will focus on trying to help the Bengals end their three-game losing streak when they visit the Dallas Cowboys (5-7) on Monday Night Football.