No team has drawn more attention to their wide receiver position this offseason than the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati lays claim to two of the best players at that spot and refuses to concede to a world without both in the picture.
Ahead of the free agency period, Tee Higgins was set to demand a major pay bump with the Bengals or elsewhere before the team placed a franchise tag on him. The team has also chartered a plan for No. 1 receiver Ja'Marr Chase to get his own contract extension over the past few weeks.
Altogether it has become one of the more involved financial situations at the position across the league.
Friday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the team is working to get deals done for both players as soon as possible. That came as no surprise, especially in regard to Higgins who did not want the tag to begin with.
He then followed up with a surprising figure for the presumed Chase deal. The Bengals are looking at a $40.1 million to a $41 million figure for his extension, making him the highest paid non quarterback in NFL history.
If they follow through on that considerable number for Chase it would break the record that the rival Cleveland Browns set this past week with their deal for Myles Garrett.
The Bengals entered the offseason with some breathing room in their cap, but such a deal would eat into the space they started with. Would it signal the same criticism over overspending that their rival may be guilty of?
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Cleveland's decision to pay Garrett makes sense for keeping their defense competitive but only cripples their finances. In the Bengals situation, this big spending contributes to the goal of contending for a championship with Joe Burrow under center.
While some questions are to be answered on the defensive side, this offensive core has shown the capacity for a title run. Without it, that same enthusiasm is not quite there.
So as it appears they may reset the non quarterback market with this deal, there is work to be done in retaining Higgins. These are two major commitments for the Bengals though there is a clear vision for what the payoff looks like.
Related: Bengals Signing Ja'Marr And Tee To Monster Contracts Gets Update
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This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 11:36 AM.