Tee Higgins parted ways with his agent towards the end of his contract year in 2024, raising eyebrows around the NFL.
Those eyebrows went even higher after Higgins signed with the same representation as fellow Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase. Four months later, Higgins and Chase both signed lucrative contracts to stay together with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati for the long-term.
“It was something that came together pretty quickly,” said FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who first broke news of the dual extensions. “The plan was always to get both done together.”
The Bengals were unable to reach a long-term agreement with Higgins last offseason, resulting in a franchise tag for the 2024 season. Over the last year, the team was also engaged in negotiations with Chase to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Once both players were represented by the same agency, it became clear that they were a package deal.
“It wasn’t one or the other,” explained Schultz. That gave the two receivers plenty of leverage to force concessions from Cincinnati, who ultimately obliged with a stronger guarantee structure than their previous non-quarterback contracts.
“The Bengals broke a lot of precedent,” Schultz continued. “It’s not something they’ve ever done other than Joe Burrow.”
Higgins still didn’t receive a WR1 salary, but he was willing to take less money than he would’ve earned on the open market to stay in Cincinnati. “He wanted to be a Bengal,” said Schultz. “Tee Higgins wanted to run it back with Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow.”
Chase was entering 2025 on his fifth-year option, so his four-year, $161MM extension will keep him in Cincinnati through 2029. The total guaranteed money is $109.8MM, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, with $73.8MM guaranteed at signing.
The deal contains a $22MM signing bonus and a $10MM roster bonus, as well as $1MM in per-game roster bonuses and $100k in workout bonuses in each year of the deal that are fully-guaranteed in 2025. Combined with his fully-guaranteed 2025 salary of $8.07MM, Chase’s first-year cash flow can reach $41.17MM. His $17.73MM salary and $15MM option bonus in 2026 are also fully-guaranteed, with void years in 2030 and 2031 to prorate those bonuses.
If Chase is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year, his per-game and workout bonuses for 2026 and 2027 will become fully-guaranteed, along with his $23.9MM salary and $5MM roster bonus in 2027. If he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2027 league year, $7MM of his $31.8MM 2028 salary will become fully-guaranteed. The contract also contains a $250k incentive in each year that can be earned if Chase plays 65% of the Bengals’ offensive snaps and the team wins the Super Bowl.
Higgins was set to earn $26.2MM in 2025 after being tagged for the second season in a row. His new contract is worth $115MM over four years for a $28.75MM APY that ranks ninth at his position. The only fully-guaranteed money at signing is a $10MM roster bonus in 2026, per Florio, though a $20MM roster bonus in 2025 was due five days after signing, making it practically guaranteed. The deal also contains $2MM in per-game roster bonuses and $100k in workout bonuses in each year.
Higgins is due a $13.8MM salary in 2025, bringing his first-year cash flow to $35.9MM. His 2026 salary of $10.9MM becomes fully-guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 league year, but the remainder of his compensation is not guaranteed. That includes a base salary of $19.2MM and a roster bonus of $5MM in 2027 and a base salary of $27.3MM in 2026.
The contract also includes incentives for playing time and postseason success. If Higgins plays 65% of the Bengals’ offensive snaps and the team makes the Super Bowl, he will earn $1MM. If he reaches the same playing time and the Bengals win the Super Bowl, he will earn $1.7MM.