Joe Burrow has repeatedly stressed the importance of the Bengals re-signing both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and it appears Cincinnati’s quarterback will get his wish sooner rather than later.
The Bengals have made significant progress on massive contract extensions for both wideouts, according to NFL Media, which added that both deals could be done in a matter of days.
Cincinnati reportedly still plans to make Chase the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback, a title that is currently held by Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett, who recently signed a four-year, $160 million extension.
The Bengals are expected to pay Chase in the range of $40.1 million to $41 million per year, ESPN reports, which would move the wideout past Garrett as the league’s new highest-paid non-quarterback.
A 2021 first-round pick, Chase is coming off a 2024 season that saw him become the fifth player since the league merger to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions.
As for Higgins, the Bengals recently applied the franchise tag on him with the intent of still working toward a long-term deal. Higgins played on the tag last year and caught a career-high 10 touchdowns despite missing five games due to injury. A 2020 second-round pick, Higgins has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons under his belt. His 34 touchdowns since 2020 tied for the 14th most in the NFL over that span.
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The Bengals recently granted one of Burrow’s wishes by re-signing tight end Mike Gesicki to a three-year, $25.5 million deal. Now, it appears that the Bengals are getting close to keeping both of Burrow’s top receivers in Cincinnati for the foreseeable future.
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