After a number of twists and turns and months of negotiations, the Cincinnati Bengals re-signed Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term extensions.
And now that the deals are done, the Bengals are feeling themselves.
In a recent post, Cincinnati wrote, “Actions speak louder” and included a montage of various football take havers including Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee saying the Bengals wouldn’t re-sign Chase and Higgins.
The minute-long video also includes negative social media posts predicting the team’s inability to retain both receivers.
The Bengals signed Chase to a four-year, $161 million contract with $112 million fully guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Higgins will remain with the team after agreeing to a four-year, $115 million deal, which makes him the highest-paid WR2 in football history.
The Bengals announce they’ve won the offseason
The staggering contracts were certainly a surprise after the Bengals dragged their feet last offseason on a new deal for Chase.
And, in fact, if Cincinnati had signed Chase last year, before he won the receiving triple crown in 2024, they could have saved a bit of cash.
The team also could have reached an agreement with Higgins earlier instead of franchise tagging him last season.
But, at least the Bengals didn’t compound the mistake by letting one of the wideouts leave town.
Quarterback Joe Burrow reportedly played a key role in getting Cincinnati to re-sign Chase and Higgins.
He used his influence with the organization, applying private pressure to ensure a deal got done.
And Higgins’ decision to change agents was also a major contributing factor in the outcome. The sixth-year WR switched to the same agent that represents Chase.
This allowed the two to act as a united front with one agent handling both deals with the team.
With the contracts signed, the Bengals will keep the offensive core that led the league in passing yards per game last season together. However, Cincinnati’s defense remains a serious concern.
In addition to Chase and Higgins, Trey Hendrickson is also looking for a new deal from the Bengals as he enters the last year of his contract. Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks last season with 17.5.
However, the two sides have been in a stalemate with Cincinnati unwilling to meet his asking price.
The Bengals granted permission for Hendrickson to explore a trade but the team’s demands are unrealistic.
