Joe Burrow's public attempts to encourage the Cincinnati Bengals to keep both of their star wide receivers don't seem likely to pay off. Per ESPN's

Near the end of the season, serious momentum seemed to suggest the Cincinnati Bengals would be able to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on long-term contracts. Now, a little pushback to the idea has arrived, courtesy of anonymous NFL executives.

As the NFL offseason approaches its final two weeks, speculation intensifies about Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and his potential departure in free agency.

Paying both Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson will require extending their current contracts, and it's no surprise that the front office is inclined to take care of both players

Chase has one year remaining on his rookie deal in which he is set to earn $21.5 million. He's however targeting the title of the NFL 's highest-paid wide receiver, which would surpass his former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson, who currently earns $35 million annually with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Cincinnati Bengals doing a big-money contract extension with Ja’Marr Chase seems an obvious event for the franchise this offseason. Fresh off the team’s botching of it before last season, to the point reports said Chase felt misled, the star wideout went and won a triple crown, only upping his value.

The Bengals’ front office should expect Ja'Marr Chase’s representation to ask for significantly more than what Cincinnati’s final offer was after the season the wide receiver produced.

The Cincinnati Bengals are ready to open contract negotiations again with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who likely is seeking to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Chase, 24, is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is coming off a season in which he won the receivers' triple crown,

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase will now resume negotiations with the team this offseason, as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal and did not get a long-term extension ahead of the season.