The Cincinnati Bengals have signed star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term contracts.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Cincinnati Bengals sign Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term contracts.
- Chase becomes the NFL’s highest-paid nonquarterback with a $161 million four-year deal.
- Higgins signs a four-year, $115 million contract.
The Cincinnati Bengals have signed star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term contracts, with Chase becoming the NFL’s highest-paid nonquarterback as a result of his deal.
Chase reportedly signed a four-year contract worth $161 million, including $112 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports. Higgins reportedly signed a four-year, $115 million deal. The first two years of his contract are guaranteed.
Fox Sports reported the contracts. Chase essentially confirmed the deal by posting the Fox Sports report on the X social media platform along with a handshake emoji. Higgins posted the same emoji on X.
Corrie Schaffeld | Cincinnati Business Courier
Team officials couldn’t be reached late Sunday night to confirm the reports.
Chase’s deal exceeds by $1 million the contract defensive end Myles Garrett signed with the Cleveland Browns last week for four years and $160 million. Garrett’s deal was the NFL’s largest ever for any player other than a quarterback. Bengals management had previously said it intended to make Chase the NFL’s highest-paid nonquarterback.
The signings are key for the Bengals as they keep one of the leagues most potent receiver corps intact.
Chase is among the NFL’s best receivers, if not the best. In 2024 he became just the fifth player since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions. He caught 127 passes for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. In his four seasons with the Bengals since being their first-round draft pick in 2021, he has caught 395 passes for 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns.
Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Since he was drafted by the Bengals in the second round in 2020, he has caught 330 passes for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns.
While the team seemed certain to sign Chase to a long-term deal, Higgins’ future with the team was more up in the air. Star quarterback Joe Burrow had lobbied numerous times for the team to sign Higgins to a long-term deal. Higgins played last year under the franchise tag, meaning he was signed to a one-year deal. The team had attached the same tag this year before Sunday’s news broke.
There had been concerns the Bengals would have trouble fitting both Chase and Higgins under the NFL’s salary cap along with Burrow and his five-year, $275 million contract signed just before the 2023 season.
The Bengals also recently re-signed tight end Mike Gesicki to a three-year, $25.5 million contract.
