Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

Bengals’ Tee Higgins Signs Franchise Tender

June 15th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Ben Levine

While there’s still uncertainty surrounding Tee Higgins‘ future in Cincinnati, the wideout is now locked in for the 2024 campaign. The wide receiver has signed his franchise tender, reports Kelsey Conway of Cincinnati.com.

With Higgins officially under contract for the 2024 campaign, the receiver is expected to be in attendance for the start of Bengals training camp. Higgins was a no-show at Bengals OTAs while his 2024 contract situation was unresolved, although he wasn’t subject to fines since he was unsigned. Higgins will now be tied to the $21.8MM WR franchise tag value for the 2024 season before hitting free agency (or potentially facing the same franchise-tag ordeal) next offseason.

While Higgins remains open to signing a long-term deal with the Bengals (per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), an extension is still considered a “longshot” (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The last we heard, the Bengals did not approach $20MM per year when they last negotiated with Higgins’ camp. The two sides haven’t resumed negotiations since they ended more than a year ago. The Bengals and Higgins have until July 15 to agree to an extension, although the organization’s history suggests there probably won’t be an agreement.

In the meantime, the likes of Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and A.J. Brown have reset the receiver market to plus-$30MM annually. Higgins is rightfully pushing to be among the highest-paid at his position, but with the Bengals navigating Joe Burrow‘s pricey contract and Ja’Marr Chase‘s upcoming extension, the team doesn’t have the financial wiggle room to retain Higgins long-term. We heard the Bengals were likely going to treat Higgins as a “rental” for the 2024 campaign, with the understanding that the two sides would part ways following the season.

Still, both Higgins and the Bengals can be relieved that they’re temporarily avoiding the drama. The issues started back in March. After being eligible for an extension for more than a year, Higgins requested a trade. While he never really talked back the impending divorce, he eventually acknowledged that he’d probably stick around Cincinnati for the 2024 season…a potential hint that he’d eventually blink and sign the franchise tender.

While Higgins hasn’t matched the same top-end production as Chase, he’s still put up big numbers as the Bengals’ number-two option. The former second-round pick averaged more than 1,000 yards per season through his first three years in the NFL. Thanks in part to Burrow’s injury and a hamstring injury that limited Higgins to only 12 games, the wideout finished the 2023 campaign with career-lows in receptions (42), receiving yards (656), and touchdowns (five). He’ll be looking for a rebound season in 2024 before hitting free agency next offseason.

Extension Candidate: Evan McPherson

June 15th, 2024 at 8:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals front office has been busy and will likely continue to be busy throughout the calendar year. Wide receiver Tee Higgins has now signed his franchise tender and an extension by the deadline of July 15 is not looking likely. While not ideal, this does allow for the front office to turn their attentions towards other matters.

In addition to Higgins, seven other starters are entering contract-years: defensive tackle B.J. Hill, cornerback Mike Hilton, offensive tackle Trent Brown, tight end Mike Gesicki, safety Vonn Bell, long snapper Cal Adomitis, and kicker Evan McPherson. The team also has the extension of star wideout Ja’Marr Chase to concern themselves with. While Chase and some of the others may be a higher priority, McPherson may be the likeliest Bengal to receive the next new deal, according to Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network.

The reason McPherson is the likeliest candidate to next receive an extension is the precedents already in place. Morrison calls it “a textbook case of ‘when, not if.'” For one, the desire for an extension is mutual between McPherson and the team. Contracts for kickers are also extremely straightforward leading to the likelihood that any negotiations should be pretty cut-and-dry.

Long-term contracts for kickers range from three to five years. Only three players at the position, Harrison Butker (Chiefs), Jason Sanders (Dolphins), and Younghoe Koo (Falcons), are on five-year deals, and of the top 14 contracts in the league for kickers, only Graham Gano (Giants), Ka’imi Fairbairn (Texans), Chase McLaughlin (Buccaneers), and Dustin Hopkins (Browns) are inked for only three years. The other seven top contracts are all four-year contracts.

Those contracts also have a narrow range of value with the lowest annual average being $3MM (Hopkins) and the highest being $6MM, shared by Justin Tucker (Ravens) and Jake Elliott (Eagles). That leaves a pretty small range of options for the Bengals to find a deal for McPherson ranging from three to five years with an average annual value of $3MM to $6MM, unless the team is looking to make McPherson the highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

While McPherson has been impressive under his rookie deal in Cincinnati, the Florida-product is only the franchise’s third-most accurate kicker. The former Gator has an NFL field goal percentage of 83.9, converting 78 of his 93 attempts. He has missed six of 132 extra point attempts but showed improvement in that field last year, going 40 for 40 in 2023.

In his first two seasons, McPherson also showed an impressive accuracy from deep, making 14 of 16 attempts from 50+ yards. That accuracy did not quite translate from inside the 40-yard line, though, as he missed seven of 20 attempts from 40-49 yards and even a 20-29 yarder over those first two years. He showed improvement on the latter front in 2023, going a perfect 19 for 19 on any field goals under 50 yards, but his long-distance accuracy suffered as he missed five of 12 attempts from over 50 yards last year.

Despite his inconsistencies, McPherson has still been one of the league’s better kickers over his three years in the NFL. If the Bengals intend to reward his early success by making him the highest-paid kicker in the league, McPherson should expect a four-year deal worth around $25MM or $26MM.

Alternatively, if Cincinnati decides that he may not be due the same money as Tucker or Elliott, the team may opt to instead reward McPherson with longevity, giving him less per year over a five-year deal. A five-year, $25MM offer would be the biggest contract for a kicker in total value and would give McPherson the eighth-highest annual average. The team could meet somewhere in the middle with a five-year, $27.5MM deal that would make McPherson the highest-paid kicker in the league with the fourth-highest annual average.

The biggest area for incentivizing a signing will be in the guarantees. Tucker leads the way in that category with $14MM of is four-year, $24MM deal being guaranteed at signing. The Bengals could give McPherson less money while still rewarding him with a high guaranteed amount, if that’s the route they choose.

However they go about keeping McPherson around, there won’t be too much room for negotiations. The three- to five-year deal averaging somewhere from $5MM to $7MM per year is expected to come sooner rather than later. The team has set the regular season as a de facto deadline for getting extensions done, per Morrison, and there is an expectation that, should McPherson reach a deal before that deadline, it would come shortly after the deadline to extend Higgins a month from today.

Bengals Sign Second-Round DT Kris Jenkins Jr.

June 13th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals announced on Thursday that defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. has signed his four-year rookie contract. All but one member of the team’s draft class is now on the books.

Jenkins was selected with the 49th pick, making him one of several interior defenders who heard their names called during the beginning of Day 2. He spent four seasons at Michigan, serving as an impactful member of the team’s defense from 2021-23. Jenkins drew attention based on his production but also his athletic profile over the course of his college career.

The 6-3, 300-pounder’s most productive season as a run defender came in 2022, when he posted 54 total stops. That figure fell last year, but Jenkins managed to up his tackle for loss and sack totals to 4.5 and 2.5, respectively. That made him a key starter on the Wolverines’ defense, a unit which played a central role in the team’s unbeaten campaign and national title.

In Cincinnati, Jenkins will look to earn at least a rotational role during his rookie campaign. The Bengals’ defensive front was dealt a blow when D.J. Reader departed in free agency. The four-year starter inked a deal with the Lions, creating a notable vacancy along the interior. By the time that took place, Cincinnati had worked out a two-year deal with Sheldon Rankins.

The latter will provide the Bengals with first-team reps at the DT spot. Cincinnati also has veteran B.J. Hill and 2022 third-rounder Zachary Carter in the fold at that position. Of course, the team followed up the Jenkins pick by taking McKinnley Jackson in the third round. Both rookies will spend training camp looking to carve out a role ahead of the regular season.

With the Jenkins deal now in place, only first-round offensive tackle Amarius Mims has yet to sign his rookie deal. An agreement on that front could take place before the end of the week, but if not both sides will likely wait until training camp opens next month to finalize it.

Bengals Extend C Ted Karras

June 13th, 2024 at 11:52am CST by Adam La Rose

11:52am: Karras will receive an average of $6.6MM per year across 2024 and ’25, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That represents a raise to go along with an added year of security in his current home. When speaking about the deal, Karras confirmed (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer) he hopes to finish out his career as a Bengal. He will at least play out a fourth campaign with the team by finishing this new pact.

8:46am: Ted Karras landed the most lucrative deal of his career in 2022 when he joined the Bengals, and he will be remaining in Cincinnati for at least the next two years. The veteran center signed a one-year extension on Thursday, per a team announcement.

As a result of the deal, Karras is now under contract through 2025. The 31-year-old has served as Cincinnati’s full-time center starter since his arrival, something which was a key part of the team’s re-tooling along the offensive line. Karras signed a three-year, $18MM deal following his second Patriots stint. The $6MM AAV of the pact was double that of his next largest contract, leading to high expectations.

In both of his Bengals campaigns to date, the former sixth-rounder has graded out as PFF’s 15th-best center. That falls squarely in line with his evaluations in past seasons, making it little surprise Cincinnati has elected to add a new year to his contract. None of Karras’ $5.8MM base salary for 2024 was guaranteed as things stood, and he was set to count $7.4MM against the cap. It will be interesting to see how much those figures change as a result of this extension.

Cincinnati has taken the free agent route to address the O-line in recent years, with Karras being joined by the likes of right guard Alex Cappa (signed in 2022) and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (2023) as big-money additions. Cappa has two more years on his deal, and Brown has three. That veteran trio will thus remain intact for the foreseeable future as the team – at least potentially – relies on a pair of players attached to rookie pacts to round out the starting alignment up front.

Cordell Volson has served as a full-time left guard starter during his two years in the NFL, and 2024 first-rounder Amarius Mims could take on a first-team role right away at the right tackle spot vacated in free agency by Jonah Williams. The Georgia product played sparingly in college, though, so another experienced signing (Trent Brown) could wind up logging RT starts in 2024.

Regardless of how that situation shakes out, Karras will be in place for another two years. Consistent play in the middle of the line should therefore be expected as the Bengals aim to continue improving up front.

WR Pharoh Cooper Announces Retirement

June 10th, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Pharoh Cooper did not play in 2023, and he will not pursue a comeback this summer. The veteran receiver/return specialist announced his retirement on Monday.

Cooper entered the league with the Rams in 2016, and he showed promise in the return game as a rookie. His follow-up campaign proved to be the best of his career on special teams, as he racked up 1,421 all-purpose yards while averaging 27.4 kick return yards. The former fourth-rounder earned a Pro Bowl nod along with first-team All-Pro honors that season.

The South Carolina product’s run with the Rams came to an end following an ankle injury in 2018. That marked the beginning of a span in which he bounced around the NFL while trying to remain a standout returner and carve out a role on offense. In the latter regard, his best season came in 2019 (243 yards, one touchdown on 25 catches) while splitting his time between the Cardinals and Bengals.

Cooper went on to spend the 2020 season in Carolina before joining the Giants the following season. His last game action came in 2022 when he returned to Arizona; in all three stops he saw sparse offensive usage while serving as the his team’s returner. For his career, Cooper racked up over 3,900 return yards and averaged 9.2 yards on punt returns and 23.6 yards on kick returns.

“Farewell football, I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” his retirement announcement reads in part. “I appreciate all the love and support I’ve received from my family, friends, and fans through out my career. Much love.”

Cooper will hang up his cleats at the age of 29. A veteran of 76 combined regular and postseason games, he amassed roughly $4.77MM in career earnings. After a full season away from the game in 2023, he will turn his attention to his post-playing days.

Ja’Marr Chase Attending Bengals’ Minicamp

June 10th, 2024 at 4:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ja’Marr Chase is among the wideouts eligible for a new deal who elected to remain absent from his team’s OTAs. The Bengals Pro Bowler is in attendance for Cincinnati’s mandatory minicamp, however.

The likes of CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) and Brandon Aiyuk (49ers) have set themselves up for fines by choosing to skip out on minicamp, but Chase has elected to take the opposite route. The latter, to little surprise, chose to wait for Justin Jefferson to sign his Vikings extension before taking part in serious Bengals negotiations. With his former LSU teammate having reset the market, Chase can now proceed on that front.

Cincinnati has a pair of key decisions to make at the receiver position, of course, with Tee Higgins on track to play under the franchise tag. He has not taken part in extension talks for over a year, though, leading to serious questions about his long-term Bengals future. Regardless of if Higgins is retained beyond 2024, Chase will no doubt be a central figure in the team’s long-term plans. The 24-year-old is on the books through 2025 via the fifth-year option.

The Jefferson accord (carrying an historic AAV of $35MM) includes higher guarantees than Chase’s camp expected. It should help the bargaining power of all ascending wideouts around the league, and Chase is among those with the production to warrant a similar deal to Jefferson’s. Cincinnati has enjoyed the Chase-Higgins duo for the past three years, but a major investment to coincide with the one made in Joe Burrow will be needed to keep it intact.

The Bengals are not known for making long-term investments featuring guaranteed money deep into the pact, but that should be required to hammer out a Chase deal. Talks can take place now that he is back with the team, although it would be surprising if an agreement was reached any earlier than training camp next month.

Latest On Bengals, WR Ja’Marr Chase

June 4th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Adam La Rose

The most recent update on the Ja’Marr Chase contract situation indicated he and the Bengals would wait for Justin Jefferson‘s extension to be signed before working out their own. With that important domino having now fallen, Chase’s status will again garner attention.

Jefferson met his target of topping all non-quarterbacks with respect to AAV on his Minnesota pact ($35MM). The extension also puts him in a tier of his on the topic of guaranteed money, with nearly $89MM locked in at signing and $110MM in total guarantees present. Especially considering the Bengals’ history as it pertains to long-term contracts, the structure of the Jefferson accord is significant.

Chase’s former LSU teammate secured guarantees (either in full or in part) for all but the last season of his monster pact. That represents a noteworthy long-term commitment on the part of the Vikings, one the Bengals have traditionally avoided with respect to guaranteeing multiple years of a deal. Quarterback Joe Burrow is of course an exception, and it will be interesting to see if Chase can join him on that front.

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. reports the guarantees present in the Jefferson accord (more so than its value) were “eye-opening” (subscription required). Chase – along with Cowboys standout CeeDee Lamb is eligible for a deal similar in AAV at a minimum, although Jefferson may serve as the receiver benchmark for quite some time. Increased talks between Lamb and Dallas are expected in the immediate future as he skips out on mandatory minicamp.

Chase (who was absent from the start of OTAs) could follow suit, but in any event Dehner adds the Bengals have the option to remain patient. Cincinnati made the obvious decision to pick up the 24-year-old’s fifth-year option this offseason, keeping him on the books through 2025. Receivers have generally not landed massive extensions until after their fourth year, but 2024 has offered exceptions in that respect.

Having amassed 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns in 45 games, Chase certainly has a case to secure a deal rivaling that of Jefferson. As Dehner reports, however, there is an expectation that inking a deal this offseason would involve Chase’s camp ceding “more than a little” in contract talks. Waiting until another spike in the cap ceiling (coupled with another wave of receiver deals near the top of the market) could, coupled with another strong season, help Chase’s leverage.

Of course, Cincinnati must approach Chase negotiations with the status of fellow wideout Tee Higgins in mind. The latter is on track to play on the franchise tag in 2024 (although he has yet to sign the $21.82MM tender), and a commitment beyond the coming season would complicate a Chase pact. The status of both pass-catchers will remain worth watching closely.

Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals Extension Talks In “Holding Pattern”

June 1st, 2024 at 9:53pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Bengals navigate the Tee Higgins situation, they have another star wideout who’s awaiting some financial security. Ja’Marr Chase is now eligible for an extension, and when the Bengals opened their organized team activities on Tuesday, the receiver was not in attendance.

While Chase’s absence is surely connected to his contract situation, it sounds like Cincy’s hands are currently tied. As ESPN’s Ben Baby points out, Chase and the Bengals are “in a holding pattern” while both sides await Justin Jefferson‘s inevitable extension with the Vikings. As Baby notes, even before Chase was eligible for an extension, the wideout was pointing to Jefferson’s impending deal. The Bengals have continued to make it clear that signing Chase is a priority for the organization, so it’s more a matter of when than if Chase signs a deal.

There isn’t as much urgency in Cincinnati as there is in Minnesota. Jefferson is heading into the final season of his rookie deal, so the Vikings would have to play the franchise-tag game if the two sides can’t hammer out an extension. After predictably having his fifth-year option picked up, Chase still has two years remaining on his rookie contract, so he has the luxury of seeing how negotiations unfold with his former LSU teammate.

Chase, Jefferson, and Cowboys star receiver CeeDee Lamb will be looking to reset the wide receiver market. Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown‘s recent extensions pushed that value past a $30MM average annual value. Brown currently paces the position in AAV ($32MM) and total guarantees ($84MM), two marks that will surely be pushed down the list once that aforementioned trio inks their next contracts.

Considering the front office’s commitment to Joe Burrow, Chase’s next deal will further limit the organization’s ability to spend. We’re already seeing this upcoming extension’s influence on the Bengals’ handling of Higgins, so some cost certainty could go a long way for the front office.

Bengals, Tee Higgins Have Not Discussed Extension Since Early 2023

May 30th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the “deadlines spur action” disclaimer applies, no signs point to the Bengals reaching an extension with Tee Higgins by the July deadline. Higgins stands alone among this year’s tagged contingent, as the seven franchise players and transition-tagged Kyle Dugger have since been locked up long term.

With Ja’Marr Chase the priority for the Bengals at wide receiver, Higgins resides in limbo. The former second-round pick has been there a while. The Bengals did not approach $20MM per year when they last negotiated with Higgins’ camp. Those talks transpired more than a year ago, with ESPN.com’s Ben Baby indicating the parties have not resumed negotiations since they broke off.

Going more than a year without talking terms covers most of Higgins’ time as an extension-eligible player. The Clemson alum became eligible for a long-term deal in January 2023. As it stands, the Bengals may be in the early stages of a rental arrangement.

Higgins requested a trade in March but said later he expects to play this season with the Bengals. Not exactly a team known for coming off its position — as the Jonah Williams and Trey Hendrickson situations recently remind — the Bengals could be interested in a multiyear rental setup.

The Bengals have Higgins tied to a $21.8MM franchise tag. Higgins, 25, has not signed his franchise tender and joins Chase in staying away from Bengals workouts. It should not be expected Chase’s sidekick resurfaces anytime soon. Jessie Bates‘ 2022 run on the franchise tag involved the standout safety staying away well into training camp; Higgins and Bates share an agent. The fifth-year receiver cannot be fined for a failure to report due as long as he refrains from signing his tender.

Should Higgins and the Bengals not come to terms by July 15, the sides cannot resume negotiations until season’s end. The Bengals would have the option of re-tagging Higgins, at 120% of his 2024 salary, in 2025. That would make for an interesting plan, as receiver salaries skyrocket — to the point Chase should be in commanding position when this year’s round of deals wrap. This would certainly not go over well with Higgins, who would be denied multiple key windows to capitalize on his earning potential. That said, the Bengals could retain their WR2 for $26.2MM in 2025.

That would be a lofty cap number, especially as Joe Burrow‘s cap hit spikes from $29.6MM to $46.2MM, but the Bengals are projected to hold — several months out, at least — more than $45MM in cap space next year. Going by the pace of these negotiations and the statuses of Burrow and Chase, the prospect of Higgins being cuffed once again should not be discounted.

With Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Jaylen Waddle signing extensions, Higgins’ price stands to rise. Even if Higgins could be on track for a second-tier WR contract, this year’s early deals will help his cause — whenever he enjoys the chance to negotiate. The Bengals not going near $20MM per year in 2023 would suggest the sides would not be close now, especially after Higgins’ underwhelming 2023 (656 receiving yards, five touchdowns).

The Bengals’ history with the franchise tag furthers evidence Higgins is highly unlikely to be extended this year. Prior to Higgins, Cincinnati has tagged 10 players since the tag’s debut in 1993 — Bates, A.J. Green, defensive end Michael Johnson, kickers Mike Nugent and Shayne Graham, tackle Stacy Andrews, defensive lineman Justin Smith, running back Rudi Johnson, wideout Carl Pickens, D-tackle Dan Wilkinson); only two (Johnson, Pickens) signed an extension with before that year’s deadline. The Johnson deal transpired back in 2005. (Nugent also circled back to an extension the following year.) While Higgins is obviously a central piece in the Bengals’ Super Bowl quest, his 12-plus-month negotiating wait continues.

WR Ja’Marr Chase Not At Bengals’ OTAs

May 28th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Several extension-eligible receivers are skipping out on OTAs as they try to exert their leverage for new deals. To no surprise, that list includes Ja’Marr Chase.

The Bengals opened their organized team activities on Tuesday, and ESPN’s Ben Baby notes Chase was among the players not in attendance. The three-time Pro Bowler is in his first year of being eligible for an extension, though he is on the books through 2025 with his fifth-year option having been picked up. As a result, Chase is on track to collect $21.82MM next year.

His annual earnings on a multi-year pact will of course be much higher. Chase, along with the likes of Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) is a candidate to reach the top of the receiver market on his next pact. Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown‘s respective extension pushed that mark past $30MM per season; Brown’s AAV sits at $32MM.

As expected, fellow Bengals wideout Tee Higgins has not yet signed his franchise tag. As a result, he is not eligible to take part in the team’s OTAs. Higgins remains in Cincinnati’s long-term plans, but keeping him in the fold would require a lucrative commitment in addition to the one forthcoming for Chase and the one made last offseason to quarterback Joe Burrow. The latter has resumed throwing, but he will work with a notably different array of receivers this spring if Chase and Higgins remain absent.

Veteran Tyler Boyd departed in the Bengals in free agency, taking a one-year Titans deal as his former team plans for an expensive Chase-Higgins tandem. The latter’s future remains in the air, but the latter has cemented his status as one of the league’s top wideouts at any age. Chase, 24, has amassed 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns in regular season play, adding a combined 45-588-3 statline in two playoff runs. Even with Burrow attached to a $55MM-per-year deal, keeping him on the books for the long haul will be critical to Cincinnati’s offense.

Team and player have plenty of time to hammer out an agreement in Chase’s case. The Bengals’ actions with Higgins will no doubt be a critical short-term consideration, but regardless of what happens on that front the former Offensive Rookie of the Year is positioned to cash in on his next deal. It would come as a surprise if he participated in Cincinnati’s remaining voluntary workouts without an agreement in hand, though Chase could return for mandatory minicamp in June and training camp the following month.

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