[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

Kewl. What's yer username and password brah?

Here you go…

The Bengals missed the playoffs with superstars Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson enjoying elite individual seasons. Was it only a temporary setback or is Burrow on the Carson Palmer frustration train?

Finishing 9-8 and out of the playoffs with Burrow tossing 43 touchdown passes, Chase topping 1,700 yards and Hendrickson collecting 17.5 sacks once would have seemed impossible. It happened.

The Bengals spent Sunday hoping Kansas City and Miami would win so they could reach the playoffs. It had to be a powerless feeling as the Chiefs rested starters and lost big, ending Cincinnati’s season.

Burrow might feel similarly powerless entering an offseason that could be pivotal for the Bengals. He’s lobbying for the team to keep receiver Tee Higgins in particular.

“You don’t want to make a living out of letting great players walk away,” Burrow said Tuesday. “That’s why you try to get those deals done early.”

The Bengals are not known for getting deals done early. Burrow knows this. He wants to change this.

Burrow doubled down Saturday after keeping alive the Bengals’ playoff hopes, if only temporarily, with a victory over the Steelers.

What happens if Higgins leaves and the Bengals regress on offense? What happens if their defense, which has fallen off after safety Jessie Bates, tackle D.J. Reader and others departed, continues to slide? It ranked 29th in EPA per play this season despite a late rally against poor offenses. (Update: Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was fired Monday, sources told The Athletic.)

Palmer made 99 regular-season and postseason starts with the Bengals before growing so frustrated with the organization that he held out and forced a trade. Burrow is 76 starts into his career and hinting at some frustration over the team letting Higgins reach the brink of free agency, with Chase due for a market-setting extension.

Palmer generally enjoyed strong weaponry until No. 2 receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh departed as a free agent in 2009, a year after top wideout Chad Ochocinco tried to force the team into trading him. The current situation is not the same, but what happens with Chase and Higgins surely will affect Burrow’s outlook on the future.