The Cincinnati Bengals have made a big decision about Ja’Marr Chase.
Bengals directer of player personnel Duke Tobin spoke with the media on Tuesday ahead of the NFL Combine. Tobin talked about Tee Higgins and Chase, who are top wide receivers and both have murky contract situations. Tobin made it clear that the Bengals want to retain both players.
“Whenever I’m in charge of a football team, I want Tee Higgins. And so I’m going to do what I can to get Tee Higgins. Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement. Always has been. It continues to be, and we’ll work hard to get that done,” Tobin said.
Tobin also made it clear that Chase is going to get big-time money and become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. He also suggested that the two sides are close to an agreement on a contract.
“Ja’Marr is always going to be our priority. He’s a fantastic football player. He’s going to end up being the No. 1 paid non-quarterback in the league. We’re there, let’s get it done,” Tobin said.
“The earlier we can do some of this stuff, the freeer (sic) it gives us to build the rest of the team.”
The Bengals picked up their 5th-year player option for Chase, which is set to pay him $21.8 million in 2025. However, the two sides can agree to an extension that would pay Chase much more in 2025, and carry through the future. That’s something they would like to do especially after Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17).
Higgins was a free agent last year but signed a franchise tag tender that paid him $21.8 million in 2024. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Higgins had 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns last season despite playing in just 12 games.
The Bengals began the 2024 season slowly, as has become a trend for them. They rallied from a 1-4 start to finish 9-8 as they won their last five games in a row. They threatened for a playoff spot but came up short.
Cincinnati’s passing game is their biggest threat, so it’s no surprise they want to keep both Chase and Higgins. If Joe Burrow can adjust his bloated contract to create some space, that would be a big help to his team.
