The Cincinnati Bengals have been relatively quiet throughout free agency in terms of signing players, but they've been busy behind the scenes working on deals for their star receiving duo.
As it turns out, the Bengals have made some serious progress on major contract extensions for both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Deals for both players could potentially be finalized in the coming days.
This is, of course, what Bengals fans -- and Joe Burrow -- have been hoping to hear. Burrow spent months publicly campaigning for the Bengals to lock up both Chase and Higgins on long-term extensions, and it sure sounds like he might get his wish.
Bengals have made serious progress on extensions for their star receiving duo
If the Bengals are ultimately able to get deals done with both Chase and Higgins, it will mean that all three of Burrow's top targets from last season will be back, as the team already signed tight end Mike Gesicki to a three-year deal that will keep him in Cincinnati through the 2027 NFL season.
Chase currently still has one year left on his current contract, while Higgins was headed for unrestricted free agency before the Bengals designated him as a franchise player for a second consecutive season with the stated goal of coming to an agreement on a long-term deal.
"Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement," Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said last month. "Always has been. It continues to be, and we'll work hard to get that done."
Meanwhile, Tobin also stated that the organization is prepared to make Chase the highest-paid non-QB in league history.
"He [Chase] is going to end up being the number one paid non-quarterback in the league," Tobin said. "We're there. let's get it done."
Those comments came before Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett became the highest-paid non-QB in history, but the crux of the comments remain the same. It sure sounds like the Bengals are prepared to make major long-term investments in both Chase and Higgins.