Because they have no money to pay these guys.
They are claiming Higgins is asking for "outrageous money"
The team controls Higgins for two years . They can tag him in 2024
Why would they trade him now when he’s so cheap? Like who are they going to get that’s going to increase their SB odds at that value? The whole point is to contend now
Burrow extension wouldn’t “hurt” them until 2025, Chase 2026
Bengals can find way to pay all of them, and contracts could be separated enough where it would only really be “expensive” against the cap for a year
Best solution long term could be a 3-year extension. Higgins is young enough, and increase in cap could actually help him make more over arc of his career