Before the 2024 season, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase reportedly made a surprising financial decision.
James Rapien of Cincinnati Bengals on SI reported that Chase rejected a four-year, $140 million contract extension. The deal would've been in a similar ballpark to that of Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson. Of course, Jefferson and Chase were teammates at LSU, winning a national championship during the 2019 season.
However, betting on himself paid off. On Sunday night, Chase told Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz he has agreed to a four-year, $161 million contract extension with $112 million guaranteed, which makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Chase's salary has passed Jefferson's by $5 million annually. Jefferson's average annual salary is $35 million per year.
BREAKING: #Bengals WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins exclusively tell me they've agreed to contract extensions with the team.
Ja'Marr gets: 4-years, $161M with $112M guaranteed - making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.
Tee gets: 4-years, $115M with the first two… pic.twitter.com/zbdnEDELgz
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 17, 2025
Ja'Marr Chase is now the highest-paid WR in NFL history, surpassing his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson by over $5M (he's at $35M/year).
It's a true market reset by Chase, who is coming off a Triple Crown season with 127 receptions, 1,708 yards, and 17 TDs. https://t.co/bDfeJOA6Gjpic.twitter.com/gVjOV5sx7N
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 17, 2025
Chase is coming off the best year of his career. In 2024, the 25-year-old won the receiving triple crown, leading the league in receptions (127 in 17 games), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdown catches (17).
Chase is one of five WRs to win the triple crown since the 1970 merger. The others are Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe, Steve Smith Sr. and Cooper Kupp.
It's fair to wonder if Chase breaking records will push Jefferson to do more in 2025. The former LSU stars have a friendly but competitive rivalry.
"I definitely keep tabs on [Ja'Marr], and I'll definitely watch whenever we're not playing or I'm just chilling at the crib," Jefferson told NFL Media's Rich Eisen in December 2024. "It's always going to be a competition, especially with me and Ja'Marr. We're always trying to compete for the No. 1 spot."
Don't be surprised if the well-compensated wideouts are in the Offensive Player of the Year conversation in 2025. As of Sunday night, FanDuel Sportsbook lists Chase's 2025 OPOY odds at plus-900 and Jefferson's at plus-1400.
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This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 9:04 PM.