Cincinnati's double dip is done.
The Bengals have agreed to terms with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on contract extensions, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday night.
Chase's extension is for four years and worth $161 million, per Pelissero, which makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Higgins, meanwhile, has agreed to a four-year, $115 million deal to keep the dynamic duo together, according to Pelissero.
Chase's megadeal was well-earned and a long time coming. He has reached a Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons and broke through for his first All-Pro selection during the 2024 campaign.
He and the Bengals were in discussions on a long-term extension last preseason, negotiations that included Chase holding in for a portion of training camp to protect himself against injury, but the talks never culminated in putting pen to paper.
Chase went on to capture the receiving triple crown with 127 receptions, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, an explosion in production for an already-prolific wideout that necessitated even more money to match his value.
He's now set to stay a Bengal, prolonging a partnership with quarterback Joe Burrow that dates back to their college days at LSU. Still just 25, Chase already has 5,425 yards and 46 TDs on 395 career receptions.
Higgins, who arrived to Cincinnati in 2020 with Burrow one year before Chase, has likewise endured a lengthy road to payday. He's coming off his fourth season out of five with 900-plus receiving yards, having added a career-high 10 touchdown catches to bring his totals to 4,595 yards and 34 TDs on 330 receptions as a Bengal.
His biggest impediment has always been injury troubles, which again caused him to miss five games during the 2024 campaign and likely contributed to Cincinnati twice placing a franchise tag on him.
But now that an extension has replaced the tag, Higgins is set to stay alongside Chase for the foreseeable future, one half of one of the NFL's best WR duos.
The development is sure to make Burrow happy, as the QB has repeatedly expressed a desire to keep his offensive core together.
Will other teams needing to defend the Chase-Higgins tandem share in that joy? Not so much.
