The Cincinnati Bengals found themselves at a major crossroad this offseason. Cincinnati had to face the decision of how to handle their star wide receiver duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Chase was entering the final year of his rookie contract (with a fifth-year option estimated to be worth $21.8 million). Higgins was twice franchise tagged (with a one-year deal for $26.2 million).
The Bengals opted to open the checkbook and lock both up to long-term deals. Chase earned a four-year, $161 million deal while Higgins landed a four-year, $115 million contract.
The two extensions were widely seen as huge wins for the Bengals. Cincinnati's magnum opus of the offseason was named two of the best moves of the entire offseason, according to Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport.
"When a team has an elite quarterback who makes it clear he wants to keep his band together, you do your best to accommodate him," Davenport wrote. "It wasn’t cheap: Chase is now the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. But bringing back Chase and Higgins gives Joe Burrow one of the league’s most dangerous one-two punches at WR in the NFL again. Now if they can just figure out a way to re-up edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson."
Chase is coming off one of the best receiver seasons in recent memory, taking home the receiver triple crown. Chase led the NFL with 127 receptions, 1,708 yards, and 17 touchdowns. In his four-year career with the Bengals, Chase has already hauled in 395 catches for 5,424 yards and 46 touchdowns. Chase has made the Pro Bowl in all four seasons of his career, and earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2024.
Higgins has been no slouch in his NFL career. Higgins had 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 12 games in 2024. Higgins has a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns, and has had less than 900 yards just once, in an injury-shortened 2023. For his career, Higgins has averaged 65.6 yards per game, and has solidified himself as one of the premiere WR2's in the league.
The pair will now stick together for the next four years, paired with superstar quarterback Joe Burrow.