The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to spend $276 million to keep quarterback Joe Burrow’s favorite targets, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
According to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, Chase’s recent contract makes him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback, with an impressive $161 million committed to the receiver over a span of four years. In contrast, Higgins’ deal, also set for four years, amounts to a still substantial $115 million.
Chase’s contract reportedly includes $112 million in guarantees, while Higgins’ deal assures the first two years of payment. With this agreement, the former Clemson standout secures his position as the highest-paid ‘WR2’ in the league.
If we add Burrow’s $46 million annual salary by 2025 into the equation, the Bengals could potentially be allocating nearly 40% of their salary cap on just three key players, pending the specific structuring of Chase and Higgins’ contracts. Burrow might also consider revising his deal to accommodate the Bengals’ future signings and cap management needs.
The deals have not been signed and the team has not confirmed any of the reported agreements.
Cincinnati has made no secret of its intention to pay Chase a historic amount moving forward.
The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to spend $276 million to keep quarterback Joe Burrow’s favorite targets, Ja’Marr Chase (right) and Tee Higgins (center)
‘He is going to end up being the No. 1 paid non-quarterback in the league,’ director of player personnel Duke Tobin said of Chase, who has played with Burrow since their LSU days.
‘We’re there,’ he continued. ‘Let’s get it done. The earlier we can do some of this stuff, the freer it gives us to build the rest of the team. We have other needs that we want to build, and so we want to get these kinds of things done early enough to where we can really focus on building out the rest of the football team, but they’re all priorities to us but the ones that aren’t signed, are the ones that are on the table first.’
Coach Zac Taylor reiterated Tobin’s statement and added the team also wants to extend Higgins’ contract and continue giving Burrow the playmakers that help make one of the league’s most dynamic passing attacks.
‘It’s good to have great players that want to be rewarded,’ Taylor said. ‘That’s a good problem to have.’
Chase led the league in receptions (127), yards receiving (1,708) and touchdown catches (17) this season, becoming just the sixth wide receiver in the Super Bowl era to achieve the receiving triple crown.
The Bengals picked up his fifth-year option of $21.816 million, but will give him a long-term deal in the range of $40 million per year. Higgins played last season on the $21.8 million franchise tag and was recently tagged again, but now appears to be getting the long-term deal he’s always sought in Cincinnati.
Higgins, 26, played in 12 games (nine starts) in 2024 and caught 10 TD passes with 73 receptions for 911 yards. He has 34 career touchdowns, 330 catches and 4,595 yards in 70 regular-season games (62 starts) since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Ja’Marr Chase (1) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) look at the scoreboard toward the end of the game against the New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 8
In an effort to free up some cap space, the Bengals are permitting All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to seek a trade, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss personnel moves.
ESPN first reported Hendrickson received permission to seek a trade after receiving a statement from the Bengals star.
‘It’s been an honor and a privilege to represent Cincinnati over the last four years,’ Hendrickson said in the statement. ‘I love this city and organization. I appreciate the privilege of now being allowed to explore my options.’
Hendrickson had 17 1/2 sacks last season for the second straight year. His 57 sacks since joining the Bengals in 2021 are third-most in the league over the past four seasons. He signed with Cincinnati after four seasons with New Orleans.
The Bengals also re-signed durable defensive tackle B.J. Hill to a three-year, $33 million deal and agreed to terms with nose tackle TJ Slaton.
Running back Samaje Perine, who spent last season with the Chiefs and played for the Broncos in 2023, also agreed to a two-year deal to return to Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine
Hill, who turns 30 next month, has only missed two of a possible 114 games since breaking into the league as a third-round pick of the New York Giants in 2018.
Hill has recorded 23.5 sacks, 66 quarterback hits, 341 tackles, 16 passes defensed, 4 fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions while making 67 starts for the Giants (2018-20) and Bengals.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he ranked ninth among all defensive tackles and nose tackles last season in run stop win rate at 37 percent.
The Bengals acquired Hill in an August 2021 trade that sent former first-round offensive lineman Billy Price to the Giants.
Slaton is a gap-clogger at 6-foot-5, 330, and started every game each of the past two seasons for the Packers. He’ll rejoin his former position coach, Jerry Montgomery, in Cincinnati. Montgomery coached Slaton from 2021-23 and is now D-line coach for the Bengals.
Perine, 29, played for the Bengals from 2020-22 and will be a backup to Chase Brown in 2025. Perine amassed 92 rushing yards and 322 receiving yards with the Chiefs last season.
