The Cincinnati Bengals have prioritized new contracts for both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. It appears the club is very close to getting that done.

Per multiple reports, and as first reported by NFL Media's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, "significant progress" has been made in reaching both deals and they could be done very soon. 

The #Bengals have made significant progress on contract extensions with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and both deals could be finalized in the coming days, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

It now appears Joe Burrow will get his wish: Both star WRs in Cincy for years to come. pic.twitter.com/g8xRnXYYLn

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 14, 2025

This report has spread like wildfire, which has an obvious explanation. The Bengals are notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to contract negotiations. Whenever there's any report about progress being made or stalling, it's coming from the agent's point of view.

As it happens, both Chase and Higgins are represented by the same agent in Rocky Arceneaux. With both contracts being handled by the same person, it's very likely that these reports have real weight behind them and that both deals are close to being done.

This was the goal for Chase, Higgins, Joe Burrow, and the Bengals organization, but it won't come cheap. The question now is just how expensive it will be.

Bengals are going to be emptying their pockets to pay Chase and Higgins

When both players put pen-to-paper, the figures of their respective deals will be quite different. When combined, they'll make a very large number.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the expected combined Average Annual Value (AAV) for Chase and Higgins will be over $70 million.

The Bengals have been very motivated to extend their superstar receivers.

Significant progress has been made with both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, the latter of whom received his first offer from the team during the combine.

Expect the duo to received over $70 million per… pic.twitter.com/7qQgIj0mjm

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 14, 2025

The smaller number of the two will belong to Higgins, who should be just over $30 million per year. DK Metcalf agreed to a new contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers that will pay him $32 million a year in new money. That's a fair bar for Higgins to push for now.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Chase's AAV will fall between $40.1 and $41 million, reflecting the bar Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett set with his new extension featuring $40 million per year in new money. 

The expectation around the league is that Ja’Marr Chase’s new deal, if and when it gets done, will average somewhere in the range of $40.1 million to $41 million per year, topping Myles Garrett and making him the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL, as the Bengals said he would be. https://t.co/3PhjadwS8o

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2025

Garrett is the bar to exceed for Chase because director of player personnel Duke Tobin proclaimed Chase will become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at the combine. At the time he said that, the bar was set at $35.1 million per year with Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson making $35 million per year.

Say it's $32.5 million per year for Higgins and $40.5 million per year for Chase. That's $73 million per year combined for both of them. Relative to this year's unadjusted salary cap of $279.2 million, that's 26.1% of the salary cap. No other team in football has ever come close to that for paying its top two wideouts.

The Bengals committed to this route, and it looks like they'll prove to be committed here shortly.

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