The Bengals have come to agreements on contract extensions with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, keeping the wide receiver duo in Cincinnati for the next four years.
The new deals set new benchmarks for NFL contracts with Chase’s coming in at four years, $161 million with $112 million guaranteed and Higgins’ deal amounting to a four-year, $115 million deal with the first two years guaranteed, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
The deal makes Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history and Higgins is now the highest-paid No. 2 wide receiver in the league’s history.
The contracts are expected to be officially announced later this week, according to Schultz.
Both players appeared to confirm the deal in separate posts on social media.
Higgins posted a handshake emoji on X right after Schultz had initially posted the news.
Chase had shared a post by Schultz on his Instagram Story and captioned it, “my brotha man @teehiggins.”
Chase had been entering the final year of his rookie contract and Higgins was franchise tagged for the second straight offseason.
NFL Network reported on Friday that there had been “significant progress” on contracts for both players and on Saturday SI reported that league sources had told the outlet that “the deals are done.”
Higgins and Chase share the same agent – Rocky Arceneaux of Alliance Sports – and progress on the contracts had started to come over the previous week.
Both players are incredibly important to the organization and have been stars on the field.
Higgins had set a new career best with 10 touchdowns this past season and in his five years with the Bengals, the receiver recorded 330 receptions for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Chase led the NFL in receptions with 127, receiving yards with 1,708 and 17 receiving touchdowns.
Bengals president Mike Brown told reporters last July that the organization was going to “bend over backwards” to get a contract extension done and quarterback Joe Burrow praised Higgins in December.
“Tee plays such a big part in what we do here and has for five years now,” he said