Duke Tobin confirms how Bengals are thinking about contract extensions for Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson
A significant portion of money the Cincinnati Bengals will spend this offseason will be on players already under contract for 2025. Yes, Tee Higgins is a need according to both Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor, but retaining him will require an entirely new contract in the coming weeks with his franchise tag set to expire […]
A significant portion of money the Cincinnati Bengals will spend this offseason will be on players already under contract for 2025. Yes, Tee Higgins is a need according to both Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor, but retaining him will require an entirely new contract in the coming weeks with his franchise tag set to expire in March.
Paying both Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson will require extending their current contracts, and it's no surprise that the front office is inclined to take care of both players this year.
Chase and Hendrickson became Cincinnati's first All-Pro players in a decade. Chase led all receivers this season in the big three statistical categories, making him the fifth receiver in the modern NFL to earn the triple crown title. He's also up for Offensive Player of the Year honors. Hendrickson led the league in sacks and is a finalist to win Defensive Player of the Year.
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Every club would be privileged to pay both of these guys. Director of player personnel and de facto general manager Duke Tobin certainly recognizes the opportunity in front of him and the rest of the Bengals to do just that.
Starting with Chase, they nearly finalized an extension right before the season but were inexplicably unable to cross the goal line. It's always been in the plans to get done, and the urgency to make it a reality has kicked up a notch.
The good news is Tobin not only knows this, but feels comfortable about it al considering the parameters are in place.
“It's a priority for us,” Tobin told The Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway at the Senior Bowl. “It's something we feel like there's a framework to work off of. Should be a pretty easy framework to work off of. Guys in his position have recently re-done contracts. We believe in Ja’Marr, he's very important to us. The other guys that have done contracts are very important to their teams. So, we believe there's a real framework to work off of. I would expect that we could come together on something that makes sense for both sides.”
Chase is rightfully expecting to be the highest-paid receiver, and non-quarterback, in history after the season he just put together. Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb signed deals paying them on average $35 million and $34 million per year, respectively, with cashflows that pay them in the ballpark of $50 million after the first two years and $75 million after the first three years. It doesn't take long to figure out what framework Tobin is referring to here.
Extending Chase is simply a formality, which is why Tobin's words have a sense of confidence attached to them. Extending Hendrickson is a bit trickier in the Bengals' world, which is evident in Tobin's comments on that matter.
“Has he earned a pay raise and a bump in an extension. . .he has," Tobin told Conway. "We’re cognizant of that, and we will give that to him. But whether we agree on what that looks like is, is what is to be determined.”
That's a pretty telling statement right there. Hendrickson is an All-Pro and one of the very best pass-rushers in the league, but he is also 30 years old and is looking for his third contract. His profile is what the Bengals have typically avoided in free agency in recent years, but there's obvious evidence pointing to Hendrickson being an exception to the rule.
Based on Tobin's response, the Bengals will take a swing at extending him, but if you were to compare the odds of this deal coming together and Chase's deal, the latter would have to be considered the favorite.
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Cincinnati’s offseason begins now.
