It's official: the Cincinnati Bengals announced the re-signings of both wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (four years, $161 million with $112 million guaranteed) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (four years, $115 million). Now those two, plus two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, can continue making offensive fireworks together for at least the next four seasons.
Burrow led the NFL in both passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) -- both of which were single-season Bengals records --- while Chase became the third players since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to win the receiving triple crown by leading the league in catches (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17). He also became the first player in NFL history with at least 1,700 yards receiving and 17 or more receiving touchdowns in a single season, per CBS Sports Research. Higgins ranked second in the NFL in receiving touchdowns per game behind only Chase (0.8, career-high 10 receiving touchdowns in 12 games) while ranking ninth in receiving yards per game (75.9, minimum 10 games played).
"Ja'Marr and Tee have proven they are outstanding receivers. Together with Joe Burrow, we have a very potent offense. That gives us a foundation to win games," owner and team president Mike Brown said Tuesday in a statement, via NFL Media. "It's hard to cover both of them. Ja'Marr is gifted. He makes exceptional plays. ... Tee has a great catch radius. He makes plays that stand out in your memory. We are fortunate to have this pair of receivers."
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the NFL Scouting Combine that he wanted Higgins and wanted to reward Chase as the highest-paid, non-quarterback in the NFL. He got both of those deals done in the end.
"The Bengals have a long history of drafting and retaining elite wide receiver, and we're happy to continue that tradition with Ja'Marr and Tee," Tobin said Tuesday in a statement, via NFL Media. "We are known for our explosive, high-scoring offense and Ja'Marr and Tee are a big part of that identity. They earned these extensions with their abilities and promise for the future. We have our receivers. The rest of the league can go find their own."
Now, Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor can get back to the drawing board to design plays involving all three going forward. The Bengals had the sixth-highest scoring offense in football last season at 27.8 points per game, but that's certainly a rank they would like to improve moving forward.
"It's great to see these two guys be rewarded," Taylor said Tuesday in a statement, via NFL Media. "Their hard work, commitment to their craft and dedication to our team make this an exciting day for all of us. We look forward to a great future with this duo helping lead the way."
