Bengals sign Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term deals
After months of uncertainty, the Cincinnati Bengals agreed to lucrative deals with star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Chase secured a four-year, $161 million contract that includes $112 million guaranteed, while Higgins inked a four-year, $115 million deal with the first two years fully guaranteed.
Chase’s new deal gives him a $40.25 million annual average salary, the highest average annual salary for a non-quarterback in league history.
He is coming off a career-best campaign that saw him set career highs across the board with 127 receptions, 1,708 receiving yards, and 17 receiving touchdowns, making him the first player to win the receiving triple crown.
The 25-year-old was in the final year of his rookie deal, and he is now locked in as a long-term player in Cincinnati.
Higgins worked through another season hampered by injuries but finished with 73 catches for 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. The 26-year-old has been a consistently productive factor that quarterback Joe Burrow publicly voiced that he wanted the Bengals to keep.
Cincinnati is moving forward with the core group of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins as the primary offensive weapons. The Bengals are coming off missing the playoffs for the second straight season after reaching the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back years.
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The franchise is quickly shifting gears to working out a long-term deal with Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson, under a one-year contract for $21 million for the 2025 season.
Hendrickson is coming off leading the league with 17.5 sacks, which marked the second consecutive year reaching that mark.
