A victory on Saturday, along with help from other teams come Sunday, will get the Bengals back into the playoffs.
But how Cincinnati sustains any type of success beyond the 2024 season is a looming storyline that will rear its head come this offseason, playoffs or not.
The Bengals have big decisions to make in regard to the long-term futures of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins this spring, and Week 18's matchup versus the Pittsburgh Steelers could potentially be the last time Joe Burrow will have the stellar wide-receiving duo at his disposal.
It's a scenario that isn't lost on the Bengals' superstar quarterback.
"It's obviously a possibility," Burrow said during Tuesday's news conference. "Not one that I'm excited about, but that's not in the plans, I would say."
Burrow's feelings on Chase and Higgins staying Cincinnati are well-documented. The WRs were entrenched in contract-related drama this past summer, with Chase sitting out of training camp and Higgins, unhappy with his franchise tag, requesting a trade at point.
While the duo have ended up playing for the Bengals in 2024, their long-term contract issues remained unresolved. Burrow hasn't stopped stumping for his teammates and seemingly sent a message to the front office on Tuesday.
"Whenever a great player leaves you wish you could have found a way to keep him," Burrow said. "You don't want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building. And I think that's why you gotta do everything you can to get those deals done early."
Burrow has enjoyed a stellar season in 2024, producing career-highs in completions (423), passing yards (4,641) and passing touchdowns (42), categories in which he leads the entire league entering the final weekend of the regular season.
Chase, who's already set all-time single-season franchise marks for receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,612) this season, is also in the running for the receiving triple crown entering Week 18 with 16 TDs, all of which currently lead the league.
Higgins' numbers in 2024 have been hampered by injuries which have limited the fifth-year WR to 11 games, but he too has been instrumental in Burrow's success with 69 receptions for 858 yards and 10 TDs, the most recent showing being an incredible 11 catches for 131 yards and three scores in the Week 17 win over the Denver Broncos.
As Burrow eluded to, the price to retain Chase and Higgins for the long haul have only gone up since last offseason.
Whether or not Saturday will be the last time the trio shares the field together remains to be seen, but we know where Burrow stands on the matter.
