This is old news by now, but if you haven’t heard…the Cincinnati Bengals did it. They signed Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive contracts late Sunday night.
This makes Chase the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history and Higgins the highest-paid WR2 in history.
Both contracts are marked up for four years, totaling a combined $276 million. Next season, the Bengals will be using 44% of their cap space on their offense, similar to the Philadelphia Eagles, but with one small difference...we’ll get into that in a second.
Let’s take a second for a quick celebration.
The Bengals did something they’re not known for: They tied up millions in multiple players with guaranteed money, but the narrative isn’t over yet.
A team can have all of the weapons they want, but what’s that saying again? Defense wins championships.
We all knew this was one of the most important offseasons in recent history for the Bengals. They had several contracts to figure out and many decisions to make. As of now, the team has:
Released:
Sheldon Rankins, DT
Alex Cappa, OG
Re-signed:
Joseph Ossai, DE
Cam Sample, DE
BJ Hill, DT
Marco Wilson, CB
Mike Gesicki, TE
Cody Ford, OL
Tanner Hudson, TE
Ryan Rekhow, P
Cal Adomitis, LS
Jaxson Kirkland, OL
Cam Grandy, TE
Tee Higgins, WR
Ja’Marr Chase, WR
Acquisitions:
Oren Burks, LB
TJ Slaton Jr., DT
Samaje Perine, RB
Departures:
Khalil Herbert, RB
Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB
Sam Hubbard (retired), DE
As you can see, there is no major movement besides Chase and Higgins, but there is still time for the Bengals to have at least a little bit of a splash.
What are we looking for to complete a very successful offseason?
The Bengals can still find a way to meet in the middle and sign their star defensive end and reigning sack leader, Trey Hendrickson. The stars haven’t fully aligned yet, but they seem to be getting close.
Sources: Cincinnati is working to retain Trey Hendrickson and discussions are ongoing between the two sides.
The Bengals are attempting to do what many in the league thought difficult and keep — and pay — all three of their stars. pic.twitter.com/3fQjvqjwZg
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 17, 2025
But let’s take a quick step back for a second. Many fans expected the team to be very involved in free agency, and that was a complete letdown. While other teams seemed to be in the news every day making multiple moves, to date, the Bengals have only signed three people. There are still a few glaring holes, with only a very few options still available. If the season started today, they would be missing an offensive guard.
Still available:
Brandon Scherff
Shaq Mason
Will Hernandez
Dalton Risner
Teven Jenkins
Liam Eichenberg
The Bengals have mainly been connected to Scherff and Jenkins, the latter of whom is supposed to meet with the Seahawks today, which can potentially be yet another missed opportunity.
Despite re-signing two of their defensive ends, they could still use a playmaking pass rusher. Both Ossai and Sample have only been rotational pieces for Hendrickson and Hubbard.
Available players include:
Von Miller
Matthew Judon
Za’Darius Smith
Charles Omenhu
Azeez Ojulari
Unfortunately, the team hasn’t been connected to too many names, but there has been a fan favorite with many people pleading for Ojulari, the youngest and potentially cheapest one available.
The Bengals front office has taken a lot of heat this offseason…and the last three decades with the lack of movement, whether in free agency signings, contract extensions, or whiffs in the draft, but they made major progress last night, retaining not one, but two of their starts, with a potential third in the mix. The front office showed they were finally willing to spend some money and try to make it the distance.
For them to successfully complete a massive offseason, though, fans are still looking for a Hendrickson deal, a couple more free agent signings, and a successful draft. For now, let’s celebrate a win while we can.