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Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

AFC North Notes: Gesicki, Bengals, Steelers, Garrett

March 4th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals are interested in re-signing tight end Mike Gesicki before free agency, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The team was “very happy” with his performance last season and “would like to pay” him, per Fowler. The tight end market is projected to reach $8MM per year, which would be a significant raise on Gesicki’s 2024 salary of $2.5MM.

Gesicki caught 65 of his 83 targets for 665 yards and two touchdowns in his debut season in Cincinnati. His 78.3% catch rate and 62.7% success rate were both career-highs by significant margins, indicating that he was a strong fit in the Bengals offense.

The seven-year veteran certainly benefitted from the attention drawn by Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but he was able to capitalize in a way other Bengals tight ends haven’t in recent years. In fact, Gesicki is the team’s first tight end to eclipse 600 receiving yards in a season since Tyler Eifert in 2015.

If Gesicki remains in Cincinnati, Juwan Johnson and Tyler Conklin will be the top tight ends in free agency. Their stock should improve with another option off the market, especially if Gesicki negotiates a strong deal with the Bengals.

  • Changes are coming to the Bengals linebacker room. Germaine Pratt is expected to leave Cincinnati this offseason, leaving Logan Wilson as the only returning starter. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the Combine that the team was “looking at” the position and specifically mentioned tackling as an area of improvement, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
  • The Bengals may also adjust their safety usage in 2024 under new defensive coordinator Al Golden. Jordan Battle could be in line for a starting role after a strong finish to the season. “I think Jordan Battle really hit the ground running at the end of the season, and so I’m pleased with the direction that he’s headed,” said head coach Zac Taylor (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.). “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him moving forward.” That may not necessarily mean a step back for Geno Stone, who started all 17 games in 2020. He was considered a potential cap casualty, but the Bengals are poised to carry him into 2025. Golden said that the current safety room was “a great starting point,” per Dehner, but didn’t rule out an addition at the position.
  • The Steelers have long been expected to re-sign one of their starting quarterbacks from last season. Justin Fields is still considered the favorite to return to Pittsburgh over Russell Wilson, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Fields is younger and may have more future upside for a Steelers offense that is desperately searching for stability under center.
  • The Combine has a history of accelerating trade talks, a trend that continued this year with multiple teams agreeing to deals in Indianapolis. The Browns, however, did not engage in any negotiations for Myles Garrett, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland has been resolute in their opposition to moving Garrett since his trade request, and the two sides seem headed for a prolonged standoff.

Bengals Place Franchise Tag On Tee Higgins

March 3rd, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, Tee Higgins will not reach the market in 2025. The Bengals wideout announced on Monday he has been informed of the team’s decision to use the franchise tag on him for the second year in a row.

After Higgins was tagged last offseason, he wound up being the only player who did not eventually work out a long-term pact with his team. That created the expectation of a free agent departure in 2025, where the 26-year-old would have been by far the most sought-after receiver on the market. For the past two weeks, though, signs have pointed to the tag being used once again to prevent that scenario.

When applied the second time around, franchise tags cost 20% more than the previous year’s price. As such, tagging Higgins in 2025 will cost the Bengals $26.16MM. That figure will immediately come onto the team’s books, and the former second-rounder will earn that amount (which is guaranteed in full) if he signs the tag and plays on it next season.

Of course, the tag can be (and often is) used strictly as a placeholder to ensure additional time to negotiate a long-term deal. That was the goal in this situation last time around, but team and player did not come particularly close to an agreement. The sides will have until July 15 to hammer out a contract and avoid another season with Higgins’ future in doubt.

Higgins has worked as a highly effective complement to Ja’Marr Chase, who himself was unable to work out a Bengals extension last summer. The latter is in line to become the league’s highest earner for non-quarterbacks, something the Bengals stated their willingness to authorize at the Combine. In spite of that, the team’s latest offer has reportedly left the sides far apart in contract talks. Chase – who won the NFL’s ‘Triple Crown’ in 2024 – represents an obvious priority on a monster deal but Cincinnati also aims to keep Higgins in place for years to come.

Quarterback Joe Burrow has gone public with his desire to see each of Chase, Higgins and 2024 sack leader Trey Hendrickson retained for 2025 and beyond. Burrow is prepared to restructure his deal to help free up cap space in the immediate future, although Cincinnati has made a number of cost-shedding moves recently as well. Prior to today’s news, the team had roughly $69MM in cap space, but a large portion of that will now be committed to Higgins.

The Clemson product has topped 900 receiving yards four times in his five-year career. Having missed five games in each of the past two campaigns, injuries represent a factor to be considered by the Bengals, but Higgins was connected to a annual average value of $30MM or more in the event he hit the open market. Several suitors (regardless of if the Patriots would have been one of them) were in line to make significant offers. Now, only a tag-and-trade would allow for Higgins to play elsewhere next year.

The 2025 free agent class is short on impact receivers near Higgins’ age, and this year’s draft is not viewed in the same light as previous ones with respect to first-round prospects. Those factors will make the trade market something to watch closely at the position as teams look to make at least modest additions to their pass-catching corps. Deebo Samuel is headed to Washington, but Cooper Kupp is among the veterans set to be on the move soon.

The Chiefs have used the franchise tag to keep guard Trey Smith off the market. He and Higgins were set to among the best free agents (regardless of position) available at the start of the new league year next week. Sam Darnold remains the top option, although the Vikings could keep their 2024 starting quarterback in place by using the tag. A decision on that front will need to be made by tomorrow afternoon. In any case, the most attractive option at the skill positions will not test free agency.

Bengals Release G Alex Cappa

March 3rd, 2025 at 10:35am CST by Adam La Rose

After three seasons with the Bengals, Alex Cappa‘s time with the organization has come to an end. The veteran guard was released on Monday, per a team announcement.

Cappa was added in 2022, the offseason in which Cincinnati aimed to rebuild much of its offensive line in very short order. He played out his rookie contract with the Buccaneers, spending three seasons as a full-time starter. That helped Cappa land a four-year, $35MM free agent pact with the Bengals.

No guaranteed salary remains on that deal for the 2025 campaign, however, a factor which made the 30-year-old a release candidate. This move thus comes as little surprise as a cost-cutting measure. The Bengals will generate $8MM in cap space with this release while incurring a dead money charge of $2.25MM.

Cappa handled starting right guard duties during his Bengals tenure, and he only missed one regular season game along the way. After producing a PFF evaluation roughly in line with his Buccaneers seasons, though, the former third-rounder saw his grade plummet to 50.5. That represents by far the worst mark of his career as a starter. In addition to gaining additional financial flexibility, the Bengals’ decision to move on will be aimed at finding an upgrade along the interior.

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. noted before the Combine both guard spots could be targets for the Bengals during this year’s draft (subscription required). With Cappa now out of the picture and Cody Ford a pending free agent, attention will increasingly turn to Cordell Volson. The 2022 fourth-round has started 48 of his 50 appearances to date, but as he approaches the final year of his rookie pact Cincinnati could look to find a replacement this offseason.

With the team’s latest cost-shedding move having been made, the Bengals now find themselves with nearly $69MM in cap space. They have work to do with the likes of pending free agent Tee Higgins along with extensions for Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson, but today’s news means they have even more financial wiggle room in their bid to keep all three members of that trio in the fold.

Bengals Have Submitted Ja’Marr Chase Extension Offer; Sides Not Close To Deal?

March 1st, 2025 at 10:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The possibility loomed last offseason that Ja’Marr Chase would sign an extension making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. The Bengals are well aware of the fact that will be required this time around to secure his future beyond 2025.

De facto general manager Duke Tobin said at the Combine earlier this week Cincinnati is prepared to authorize a deal which will move Chase to the top of the receiver pecking order. Doing so will require surpassing Justin Jefferson‘s Vikings extension signed last offseason ($35MM per year). An asking price of $40MM annually has been floated, although it remains to be seen where team and player stand with respect to finances at this stage of negotiations.

On that note, Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes an offer has been made to Chase’s camp (subscription required). Notably, though, she adds the sides are not close to an agreement at this point. The Bengals’ offseason to-do list includes not only working out a monster deal with Chase, of course, but also finding a resolution with fellow receiver Tee Higgins along with granting edge rusher Trey Hendrickson a raise.

Higgins is expected to receive the franchise tag for the second year in a row, something which will buy the Bengals time to work on a multi-year pact. Hendrickson requested a trade last year in the wake of his unsuccessful attempts to land a lucrative extension, and he would again be onboard with a deal sending him elsewhere if it resulted in a raise ahead of 2025. Tobin and the team remain confident agreements can be reached on all three fronts, but ensuring Chase is in place for the foreseeable future represents an obvious objective.

The 25-year-old won the ‘Triple Crown’ in 2024 by leading the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Chase could easily command a deal allowing him to join the six-man group of receivers averaging at least $30MM per season on his second contract as a result, but a larger-than-expected spike in the salary cap could help his cause even further. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been vocal about signing his former LSU teammate to a new pact but also managing to keep Higgins and Hendrickson in the fold.

The Bengals currently have roughly $61.5MM in cap space, a portion of which will be needed for a new Chase pact (although since his fifth-year option was picked up last spring, he is already on the books for 2025 at $21.82MM). A partial training camp holdout took place in this situation last summer with no deal being reached; plenty of time remains before such a scenario could come into play again, but progress will nevertheless apparently need to be made at the negotiating table.

Bengals Prepared To Make Ja’Marr Chase NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB

February 25th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals were unable to work out an extension agreement with Ja’Marr Chase last offseason, and the decision to use the franchise tag on Tee Higgins led to doubt about his future beyond 2024. In the case of both receivers, the team remains intent on inking both to long-term deals.

Chase in particular will require an historic investment in the wake of Justin Jefferson resetting the market for non-quarterbacks last year. Chase’s LSU teammate secured $35MM per year on average from the Vikings, but a new Bengals deal will check in at a higher rate. Coming off the back of a triple-crown season, Chase has been connected to an asking price of $40MM per season.

In spite of the organization’s track record regarding massive player investments, reaching an agreement at least in the vicinity of that figure is the target. De facto general manager Duke Tobin said on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) the Bengals are planning to “reward” Chase by making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. Head coach Zac Taylor echoed that sentiment when speaking to the media (h/t Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer).

As Joe Burrow has turned up the heat on the franchise regarding doing what it takes to retain Higgins and Trey Hendrickson, Tobin has offered some support that the QB will see a positive outcome here. The longtime Bengals exec said (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) he is optimistic extensions for all three are doable.

The Bengals are paying for delaying the Chase deal, as the hesitancy — a delay not shown by the Eagles and Dolphins with first-rounders DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle — preceded a price-raising season from the 2021 fifth overall pick. Miami and Philly became the first teams — in the fifth-year option era — to extend a first-round wideout with two years of rookie-deal control remaining. Mike Brown said early in training camp the Bengals were unlikely to follow suit. Although the team was believed to have come close to extending Chase before last season, not doing so will lead to a bigger payment being required. While surpassing Jefferson’s $35MM AAV is one matter, a team not known for post-Year 1 guarantees going past the $88.7MM the Vikings fully guaranteed their All-Pro wideout is another.

Regarding Higgins, the Bengals paying him would contradict a years-long expectation. Higgins had been expected to depart, via free agency defection or tag-and-trade transaction, for a while. Last month, Tobin said the team would aim to re-sign Higgins at the “right number.” It would seem Burrow’s efforts, years after Carson Palmer forced his way out due to frustration with the organization’s transactional aggressiveness, are not going unnoticed in the Cincinnati building.

Hendrickson is eyeing a lucrative fourth contract, after tacking a one-year extension onto his initial Bengals agreement, and would be OK if it came after a trade. The All-Pro defensive end wants a quick resolution, however. Like Chase, one season remains on Hendrickson’s deal. For all the criticisms lobbed the Bengals’ way regarding contract matters, they do have a recent history of authorizing third contracts for D-linemen. They paid both Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap in 2018. Of course, paying Hendrickson with Burrow tied to a $55MM-per-year deal is a different matter even with the recent cap spikes considered.

As we detailed in a recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece, how the Bengals proceed this offseason may well affect their long-term relationship with Burrow. The superstar QB will undoubtedly be monitoring these situations closely, with the Higgins matter — expected to produce at least a placeholder franchise tag — first on the docket.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Bengals To Add Sean Desai To Staff

February 25th, 2025 at 2:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a quick demotion from his role as Eagles defensive coordinator, Sean Desai resurfaced in Los Angeles on Sean McVay‘s staff. The veteran defensive coach is now on his way to a fifth team in five years.

The two-time DC is expected to join the Bengals’ staff, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. This will mark a reunion for Desai and new Cincinnati DC Al Golden. The two worked together on Golden’s Miami Hurricanes staff in 2011. Desai served as the Hurricanes’ assistant director of football ops that year.

Desai has seen both his NFL DC stops end after one season. The Vic Fangio disciple succeeded Chuck Pagano as Bears DC in 2021, and while the team had some success on that side of the ball that season, Matt Nagy being fired scattered his staff as well. The Bears ranked sixth in total defense that year, despite Khalil Mack going down midseason with a foot injury. Robert Quinn proceeded to break Richard Dent‘s single-season franchise sack record, totaling 18.5.

Following a one-off with the Seahawks in 2022, Desai landed the Eagles’ DC job. Philly looked to have had Fangio in mind to take over, but timing involving the clunky Jonathan Gannon exit scuttled that. As Fangio proved out of place in Miami, Desai did not succeed in Philly. Nick Sirianni stripped Desai of play-calling responsibilities as the Eagles’ defense struggled to match its 2022 form, leading to Matt Patricia being elevated. Patricia could not stop the bleeding, and the two staffers oversaw a collapse that ended with a Buccaneers runaway wild-card win.

As the Eagles’ belated Fangio hire produced a Super Bowl LIX romp, Desai spent the year as a Rams senior defensive assistant. This Bengals gig will be Desai’s third senior assistant-type role in four years, as he was not assigned to a specific position in Seattle, either. But Desai will bring considerable experience to Golden’s staff. The 41-year-old staffer has been in the NFL since 2013.

NFL Minor Transactions: 2/21/25

February 21st, 2025 at 6:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor moves across the NFL:

Cincinnati Bengals

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Brown and Jacobs were both tendered by the Patriots yesterday and have agreed to their tenders today. As exclusive rights free agents, their options were to accept the tender offered to them or not play football in 2025.

Bengals Release DT Sheldon Rankins

February 21st, 2025 at 5:55pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bengals have released veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, per a team announcement. Rankins was an expected cap casualty after missing most of the 2024 season.

He signed with the Bengals on a two-year, $24.5MM deal last March and started the first two games of the regular season before suffering a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games. He returned in Week 6 and started Cincinnati’s next five games before coming down with a viral illness ahead of Week 11.

Details of the illness were not disclosed during the season, but it was revealed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Rankins was battling viral meningitis. He was inactive for the next six games before landing on the non-football injury list to end the year. Rankins finished the season with 18 tackles (one for loss) and one sack, the latter being the lowest total of his career.

Cutting Rankins saves $9.6MM against the 2025 salary cap with $2MM in dead money, bringing the Bengals up to $62MM in salary cap space, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. That will leave them with more than enough room to absorb an expected franchise tag for Tee Higgins and a lucrative extension for Ja’Marr Chase while still making much-needed improvements to their bottom-10 defense.

Teams will likely inquire about Rankins’ health before pursuing him in free agency. He joins a crowded defensive tackle market in which pass-rush upside will be prioritized.

The Texans were interested in re-signing Rankins last year after he recorded 6.0 sacks in Houston in 2023 and could renew their pursuit. He could also receive interest from the 49ers given his connection with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and the team’s need along the interior of their defensive line, according to the Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman. Rankins played under new Bears DC Dennis Allen in New Orleans and could seek a reunion in Chicago.

However, the former first-round pick will be 31 when the 2025 season starts, likely putting him on the back end of his career. Rather than another multi-year contract, Rankins may have to accept a one-year deal to prove his health and rebuild his value this season.

2025 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 20th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year’s salary cap spike created another opportunity for teams to retain talent, and once the upcoming cap surge (roughly $25MM) produces a number, the 2020 CBA will have produced four straight single-year jumps by at least $16MM. These climbs, which dwarf the per-year jumps the 2011 CBA brought, have both helped teams retain talent and pay for free agents while also ballooning the costs of franchise tags.

That said, last year featured eight players given the franchise tag and one (Kyle Dugger) receiving the transition tender. Illustrating the cap climb’s impact, eight of those nine players landed extensions. None of them occurred near the July 15 extension deadline for tagged players, leaving only the Bengals and Tee Higgins‘ non-negotiations still outstanding by the time the usually action-packed stretch arrived. Higgins is back among this year’s lot of potential tag recipients, but not as many players join him.

We are now in Year 33 of the franchise tag, a retention tool that came about during the same offseason in which full-fledged free agency spawned. With clubs having until 3pm CT on March 4 to apply tags, here is who may be cuffed:

Likely tag recipients

Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals)
Tag cost: $26.18MM

It never made too much sense for the Bengals to pass on tagging Higgins, who would at least — in the event the team would squash Joe Burrow‘s crusade to retain the veteran Ja’Marr Chase sidekick — fetch draft capital in a trade. A second Higgins tag comes in at 120% of his 2024 tag price ($21.82MM). It would be interesting if the Bengals went from not negotiating with Higgins during his four months on the tag last year — and generally being prepared to move on in 2025 — to circling back and paying him a market-value deal, but that does seem to be in play.

Burrow’s push would see the team having roughly $70MM per year allocated to the receiver position; that would squash where even the Eagles and Dolphins have gone for their high-end wideout duos. Higgins, 26, was unable to market his age-25 season thanks to the tag. If the latest rumors surrounding the former second-round pick are accurate, he would be kept off the open market once again. That is a fairly significant window to miss; then again, he would have banked $48MM during that period.

The Bengals are projected to carry more than $53MM in cap space, making this a solution they can afford. But after extensive negotiations with Chase last year and Burrow stumping for Higgins, the team has an important decision to make soon.

Cincinnati has less than two weeks to give Higgins a long-term deal. It would mark quite the about-face to do so. The organization has not seriously negotiated with the WR since the first half of 2023, and even when talks did commence, no proposal came too close to $20MM per year. Those talks predictably broke down, and Higgins’ new price is believed to be around $30MM. With plenty of suitors awaiting — the cap-rich Patriots among them — that would be doable for the 6-foot-4 target, who is coming off a better season compared to his 2023 showing.

Higgins zoomed back to his usual form by hauling in 73 passes for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns; his 75.9 yards per game trailed only his 2021 number (77.9). Higgins, however, missed five games for a second straight season. Hamstring and quad injuries kept Higgins off the field last year, but his market does not appear to have cooled as a result. At worst, the Bengals could fetch Day 2 draft capital in a trade. A first-round pick may be tougher here due to an acquiring team needing to authorize a pricey extension, but teams have been calling ahead of the past two deadlines. Cincinnati still has options, but its Higgins plans will certainly need to be run by Burrow given how much he has stumped for the team to retain the five-year vet.

On tag radar

Sam Darnold, QB (Vikings)
Projected tag cost: $42.39MM

Rumors have not pointed to a clear-cut plan here. At least, the Vikings’ vision for their would-be bridge QB has not become public. But the sides are still talking. Minnesota saw the formerly underwhelming starter break through at 27, taking advantage of the Vikings’ weaponry and Kevin O’Connell‘s ability to coach up quarterbacks. Darnold earned original-ballot Pro Bowl acclaim, throwing 35 touchdown passes (to 12 INTs) and smashing more career-high marks in yardage (4,319) and completion percentage (66.2). Previously in place to hold down the fort while J.J. McCarthy developed, Darnold saw the rookie’s meniscus tear change his Twin Cities outlook.

McCarthy has undergone two surgeries and may have a long way to go in his rehab. As McCarthy went down before playing a regular-season snap, it would make sense for the Vikings to give strong consideration to cuffing Darnold as a pricey insurance measure. On the other hand, the Vikings have a few key performers set to hit the market soon. Byron Murphy, Camryn Bynum and Aaron Jones are moving toward the market. A Darnold cap hold of more than $40MM would clog Minnesota’s payroll ahead of free agency, though the team is projected to carry $63.3MM in space.

Darnold’s late-season letdown undoubtedly factors into the Vikes’ equation, as $42.39MM can be viewed as a bit steep for a player who did not consistently impress in New York or Carolina. But Darnold has proven he can excel in O’Connell’s system. As we detailed on a recent Trade Rumors Front Office post, a multiyear deal for Darnold would not make as much sense; the team still has high hopes for McCarthy. Unless the Vikings plan to entertain the expected trade calls for last year’s No. 10 overall pick, the only way Darnold would stay would be via the tag.

A tag would not be in Darnold’s best interests, as the soon-to-be 28-year-old passer has rare momentum ahead of an offseason featuring several teams with QB needs. A much-criticized draft class at the position would also benefit Darnold, who has been linked to potentially scoring a Baker Mayfield-like deal (three years, $100MM). With the cap now climbing to around $280MM, the seven-year vet could conceivably aim higher. The Vikings hold the cards here in the meantime, as this represents one of the more interesting tag decisions in several years.

Big markets await otherwise

Jevon Holland, S (Dolphins)
Projected tag cost: $20.13MM

Already cutting Raheem Mostert, Kendall Fuller and Durham Smythe to save space, the Dolphins are not expected to roll out a tag for Holland. This would mark a second straight year the Dolphins will send one of the top free agency-eligible players to the market. Miami let Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt walk in 2024; each lineman signed a top-market deal. Holland would be expected to follow suit, as the former second-round pick has started 57 games and is going into his age-25 season. The Dolphins are projected to hold barely $1MM in cap space, mandating more moves ahead of the 2025 league year.

The British Columbia, Canada, native has five career sacks, five picks and five forced fumbles. This comes along with 25 pass breakups. The past two free agencies have seen one safety check in much higher than his peers contractually, with Jessie Bates (four years, $64MM) and Xavier McKinney (4/67) scoring top-five contracts. The latest cap spike will help Holland, who can aim for the $16MM-AAV Bates tier as a floor.

Although PFF viewed Holland as better under Vic Fangio (third overall) than Anthony Weaver (56th), the months-long Miami extension candidate will still do very well if he hits the market. Extension talks with the Oregon alum did not pick up before last season, and the Dolphins appear close to losing another quality starter early in free agency.

Trey Smith, G (Chiefs)
Projected tag cost: $25.8MM

Over the past 15 years, only two guards have been tagged: Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney. Washington cuffed Scherff twice, letting him walk in 2022. New England kept Thuney as a placeholder during a busy 2020 on the tag front. Both players scored then-guard-record deals on the open market. Smith is expected to follow suit, as the Chiefs are viewed as unlikely to apply this pricey placeholder on their four-year right guard starter. Despite having attempted to extend Smith for a bit last summer, the former sixth-round find remains unsigned.

Kansas City looks likely to go left tackle shopping, as Thuney proved overmatched in his final fill-in assignment there, and its four-year LG starter is under contract for one more season. The Chiefs’ four-year, $80MM Jawaan Taylor misstep carries an already-guaranteed 2025 base salary ($19.5MM), thanks to the ex-Jaguar RT being on the Chiefs’ roster last March, and the team handed All-Pro Creed Humphrey a deal that easily made him the NFL’s highest-paid center. Losing Smith may be the cost of doing business, unless the three-time defending AFC champions can craft an 11th-hour solution to keep the 25-year-old Pro Bowler via the tag.

Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens)
Projected tag cost: $25.8MM

It is highly unlikely the Ravens use the tag here, as they already gave Stanley a pay cut in 2024. That said, Baltimore wants to work something out with its longtime left tackle. Stanley’s injury history also would make a $25.8MM guarantee lofty, but this also could be a placeholder to ensure he does not leave in free agency. The Ravens lost three O-line starters in 2024, and this is the costliest position up front.

Then again, the Ravens faced a similar situation in 2019, and they let C.J. Mosley walk rather than overpay on the tag. The Ravens have used the tag in each of the past two offseasons, but it was to retain younger players (Lamar Jackson, Nnamdi Madubuike). They currently are projected to carry barely $12MM in cap space. As PFF notes, only six players 28 and older have been tagged over the past five years. No player over 30 has been tagged since the Bengals retained A.J. Green in 2020. Green was 32 that season; Stanley will turn 31 in March.

The Garett Bolles–Dion Dawkins–Taylor Decker tier, as our Nikhil Mehta pointed out, may be the place to watch for Stanley, who reestablished momentum last season after playing 17 games for the first time in his career and making the Pro Bowl. He is in position to command a nice third contract. Will it come from the Ravens? After the tag window closes, Baltimore has until March 10 to negotiate exclusively with the nine-year blocker.

Ja’Marr Chase Eyeing $40MM AAV

February 19th, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Ja’Marr Chase was already expected to reset the wide receiver market when he inks his next contract. However, it’s sounding like the Bengals star could soar past the field.

[RELATED: Bengals Seeking Long-Term Deal For Ja’Marr Chase]

According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Chase is expected to command at least $40MM per year on his next deal. This average annual value would easily put the WR atop his position, and it would even rival some QB contracts.

It was less than a year ago that the top of the wide receiver market settled in at a $30MM AAV, with Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Brandon Aiyuk joining Tyreek Hill at that milestone. Jefferson ended up earning the highest average of the bunch, as his four-year extension came in at $35MM per year. At the time, it was expected that Chase’s next deal would approach or slightly top that pact, but it’s now sounding like the Bengals WR has his eyes set on an even larger pay day.

Jefferson currently leads all non-QBs in AAV, with the $30MM-plus group also consisting of a handful of defenders (including Nick Bosa and Chris Jones). Chase’s targeted $40MM AAV would place him tied for 15th in the entire league, with that number matching Matthew Stafford‘s annual earnings and topping the likes of Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, and Derek Carr.

While both Chase and the Bengals made some progress on extension talks last offseason, they couldn’t agree to a deal before their self-imposed deadline of Week 1. The two sides did not engage in contract talks during the 2024 campaign, and there’s now a bit more urgency with Chase entering the final season of his rookie contract. While the organization has made it clear all along that they’re prioritizing a new deal for the star wideout, that may be easier said than done.

In addition to Joe Burrow‘s once-record-breaking deal, the Bengals are also navigating Tee Higgins‘ impending free agency. A recent report indicated that the front office was planning to hit Higgins with the franchise tag for a second-straight offseason, a move that would lock them into a relatively affordable $26.2MM commitment for the 2025 campaign. The Bengals could also hit Chase with the franchise tag in 2026 and 2027, which would buy the organization even more time to figure out their financials.

While there’s a chance the Bengals just look to roll with their star trio for one more season, there have been genuine rumblings that they’re trying to keep all three players for the long haul. In that case, Burrow, Chase, and Higgins would cost the team at least $120MM per season, even if the QB is willing to hand back some money.

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