Heading into the offseason, many thought that there was a real chance we saw the Cincinnati Bengals offense take a huge hit by potentially losing Tee Higgins. But on Sunday, the organization sured up their future offensively for years to come by not only extending Higgins, but also reaching a long term deal with Ja’Marr Chase.
Fox Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz first broke the news, detailing that both Chase and Higgins had reached long-term extensions that will see both playing alongside each other for at least the next four years.
Higgins will be receiving a four-year $115 million deal to stay in Cincinnati, which is the highest a No. 2 wide receiver has ever received in NFL history.
Meanwhile, Chase predictably got the type of contract a top-five wide receiver in the sport would expect to get, signing a four-year $$161 million deal with the Bengals. This is the biggest contract a non-quarterback has ever received in NFL history.
This past season, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow led the league in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. And while plenty of that credit deserves to go to Burrow, the kind of impact that both Higgins and Chase have had on Burrow’s career is undeniable.
Keeping both Chase and Higgins should help ensure that Burrow is playing at as high of a level as possible for the foreseeable future.
That recipe didn’t lead to the kind of team success that the Bengals expected last season. But moving forward, the Bengals should certainly be a team to watch to compete with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC for years to come.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.