The Cincinnati Bengals managed to achieve what many folks viewed as impossible on Sunday night when they signed their two superstar wide receivers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, to long-term contract extensions. Now that pen has been put to paper, it looks like a savvy move from Higgins may have helped both of these deals cross the finish line.
Keeping Chase and Higgins in town was always Cincinnati's desire, but it was going to be tough to do so given the price tag associated with them. In an effort to force the Bengals hand, Higgins switched his agent a few months ago to the same one that Chase has. The message became clear; there was no deal for Higgins unless Chase got one too. And now, everyone involved finally got what they wanted.
“In a savvy leverage move, Tee Higgins switched agents a few months ago, hiring Rocky Arcenaux—the same agent as Ja’Marr Chase. Knowing the Bengals wanted to keep Chase and that Joe Burrow wanted Higgins to stay, Arcenaux told the team: no Ja’Marr deal without Tee. Now, both contracts are done at the same time. Masterful,” Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared in a post on X.
https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1901468791399178330
Related Cincinnati Bengals NewsArticle continues below
Bengals finally hammer out contract extensions for Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins (5) and Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrate a touchdown
Mandatory Credit: Sam Green-Imagn Images
It's not too hard to see why the Bengals were so intent on keeping both Chase and Higgins in town, as they are arguably the top wide receiver duo in the league right now. Chase is coming off a historically productive 2024 campaign (127 receptions, 1,708 yards, 17 touchdowns), while Higgins managed to make a big impact as well (73 receptions, 911 yards, 10 touchdowns) despite missing five games and battling a slew of injuries even when he was on the field.
If it weren't for this under-the-radar move from Higgins, would these deals have come to fruition? Who knows, but what matters at the end of the day is that both Chase and Higgins are sticking around for the long-term. Now, the attention will turn to superstar pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is also looking for a new contract this offseason.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints, who also covers the NBA and MLB. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management, ran his own website, and had bylines at FanSided and the Basketball Network.