Bengals to keep top Burrow targets Chase and Higgins on reported $276m extensions | Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to four-year extensions with receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, assuring that Joe Burrow can have his prime two targets with him for a while.

A supply informed the Related Press that Chase will grow to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL historical past, incomes $161m, together with $112m assured. That surpasses the $40m a yr common by Cleveland cross rusher Myles Garrett. Higgins will get $115m. The Bengals positioned the franchise tag on Higgins, however have been hopeful of getting a brand new deal carried out.

Chase led the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and landing catches (17) this previous season, changing into simply the sixth broad receiver within the Tremendous Bowl period to attain the receiving triple crown.

Bengals director of participant personnel Duke Tobin mentioned lately hat he needed to make Chase one of many highest-paid gamers within the league.

“Ja’Marr is at all times going to be our precedence,” Tobin mentioned. “He’s a incredible soccer participant. He’s going to finish up being the No 1 paid non-quarterback within the league. We’re there. Let’s get it carried out.”

Chase leads the league in receiving touchdowns (46), and is third in receiving yards (5,425) and sixth in receptions (395) since being the fifth total decide and AP Offensive Rookie of the 12 months in 2021. He was an All-Professional choice for the primary time in 2024 after recording three video games with at the least 10 catches and 175 yards. That included 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-34 loss at Baltimore.

Higgins was tied for sixth within the league this previous season with 10 landing catches. He additionally had 73 receptions for 911 yards and averaged 12.5 yards per catch. His finest recreation final season was in December towards Denver, when he had 11 receptions for 131 yards and three touchdowns, together with a rating in additional time that stored the Bengals alive for one more week within the postseason chase. Cincinnati gained their closing 5 video games to complete 9-8, however missed the playoffs for the second straight yr.

“You possibly can pull up three years in the past, speaking about doing a long-term take care of Tee and right here we’re in the present day, nonetheless speaking about doing a long-term deal,” Tobin mentioned. ”At any time when I’m in control of a soccer crew, I would like Tee Higgins and so I’m going to do what I can to get Tee Higgins.”

Higgins was a second-round decide by the Bengals in 2020, the identical season Burrow was the highest total decide. Higgins has at the least 900 receiving yards in 4 of his 5 seasons, and had greater than 1,000 yards in 2021 and 2022.

The Bengals are additionally hoping to achieve an extension with Trey Hendrickson regardless of the All-Professional edge rusher receiving permission to hunt a commerce. Hendrickson can also be going into the ultimate yr of his contract after main the league with 17.5 sacks final season.

“Now we have a number of actually good soccer gamers, incredible soccer gamers. And we’re lucky to be able the place we are able to match all of them in. We’ve managed our cap nicely,” Tobin mentioned. “We would like a excessive payroll and low useless cash, so the folks which might be in Cincinnati enjoying for us can get all the cash. We need to re-sign these guys, reward them for his or her potential degree and add to the soccer crew. It’s a tall activity, however we expect we’re as much as it.”