Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow hit on a wide range of topics in his first presser of the workout sessions this spring.

One of those, inevitably, was the trade requests of wideout Tee Higgins and defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

Burrow remained supportive of both guys in his rather extensive comments:

“Those guys have their business they need to take care of. I support them in every way. Both those guys have earned everything that has come to them and more. I’ll support them all the way through it. Whatever they feel like is best for their career. That’s for them and their agents and their families to decide. But we are here to win football games. I really hope both those guys are here next year because we are a better football team with both of them. They are both great locker room guys, too. They are going to do what they’ve got to do, but when the time comes for them to come back, if that time comes, we are going to welcome them back and hit our stride.”

It’s effectively a forgone conclusion that both Higgins and Hendrickson will be on the team next season — and Burrow’s comments don’t really apply much extra pressure to the organization, either.

Hendrickson and the team were reportedly going to meet soon about the contract, but the standoff is a strange one after he signed a short extension this time last year.

The situation with Higgins is trickier, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t sign the $21.8 million franchise tag and play in 2024. The team and player have until July 15 to work out an extension, or he can play next year on the tag.

Story originally appeared on Bengals Wire