Following Monday night’s win over the Cowboys, Bengals star wideout Ja’Marr Chase said that he wishes he could “sign Tee myself” when asked about teammate Tee Higgins’ future with the team. Chase can’t do that, but his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, will help Higgins sign his next deal after Higgins hired him to be his new agent.
Both players are nearing the end of their rookie contracts. Higgins was franchise-tagged by the Bengals this past offseason and is slated to enter free agency this offseason. Chase is in the final year of his rookie contract after he and the Bengals did not come to terms on an extension this past summer.
Chase is expected to receive a contract that at minimum will make him among the NFL’s highest-paid receivers. Higgins is also in line to receive a lucrative extension after excelling as Cincinnati’s No. 2 wideout since Chase arrived in 2021. The duo, arguably the NFL’s best, has played a significant role in the Bengals’ ascension over the past four years that includes an AFC championship as well as consecutive division titles and appearances in the AFC Championship game.
Higgins joining forces with Chase’s agent is certainly an encouraging sign for the Bengals, who would obviously love to keep both players. In theory, Chase, Higgins and Arceneaux can work in lockstep with the Bengals as far as negotiating both contracts shortly after the 2024 season commences.
Both players’ futures with the Bengals has been a hot-button topic all year. The general consensus has been that Chase will remain in Cincinnati, but optimism hasn’t been as high regarding Higgins over the past several months. That changed, however, after Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow publicly expressed their desire for the team to re-sign Higgins following the win over Dallas.
“I’m confident that I think we’re gonna be able to do what it takes to bring Tee back,” said Burrow, who currently leads the NFL in both touchdown passes and passing yards. “I know that I’m gonna do what it takes to get him back, and so is he. We’ve had those talks. Those are gonna be off-season discussions, but I think we’re excited about that opportunity.”
