At long last, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have committed their futures to the Cincinnati Bengals.
News started to leak over the weekend that deals had been done. Come Monday morning, we had confirmation that both players had penned four-year extensions.
For years, the Bengals have been labelled ‘cheap’, even though history tells us that tag is more bias and belief than fact.
Regardless, that narrative took a major hit with the announcement that Chase had agreed to a $161 million extension while Higgins re-signed for $115 million.
That is not cheap in my book!
Must-haves or nice-to-haves?
Chase’s future was never in doubt. It was more about how long it took to secure and how much it would eventually cost.
The four-time Pro Bowler has been elite since entering the league in 2021, shattering franchise records along the way as promised. In four seasons, he has racked up 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns.
Higgins would be a WR1 on most other teams. He has posted over 4,500 yards and hauled in 34 touchdowns. He has been hampered by injury but they have been niggles rather than anything major.
So given Cincy’s pass-first offence, I feel both players are must-haves.
What is different about these deals?
Other than with Joe Burrow, the Bengals have historically shied away from handing out fully guaranteed money beyond the first year.
That has now changed, with both Chase and Higgins securing significant guaranteed salaries in their second year.
This signals a shift in the franchise’s approach to contract structuring, and hopefully tells prospective free agents that Cincinnati will look after its stars.
Did Tee take a discount?
Higgins could have tested free agency and secured a bigger deal. But instead, he chose to stay in Cincinnati, taking slightly less than he might have received on the open market.
Why? Well, he grew up supporting the team but there is also the unique bond that has developed with Chase and Burrow.
This trio has unfinished business, and Higgins clearly values winning over maxing out his paycheck.
Did they change the national narrative?
The road to this point has been unnecessarily windy and arduous. Chase ‘held in’ last year, disrupting preseason training, and Higgins was all but gone until he switched agents to Rocky Arceneaux – the same as Chase – a few months ago.
And yes, the front office could have saved millions if these deals had been done sooner. But that is all water under the bridge now.
By making Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback ever and Higgins the best-paid number two, the Bengals have hopefully put the ‘poverty franchise’ label to bed once and for all.
Despite the excitement, the roster building is not done and dusted. The franchise needs to sort out the horror show that was last year’s defence, possibly starting with another mega-deal for Trey Hendrickson.
There are also two guard-shaped holes to fill.
But, for today at least, Bengals fans are rejoicing that the core pieces of their high-octane offence are locked in for a few years. Fun times lie ahead.
