The Cincinnati Bengals were applauded by Jeffri Chadiha of NFL.com for locking up star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on long-term deals. Chase received a four-year deal worth $161 million, while Higgins also got a four-year deal, his worth $115 million.
In Chadiha's list of the 10 best movs of the NFL offseason so far, Cincinnati extending their star receiver duo came in at No. 2, behind only the Chicago Bears hiring head coach Ben Johnson.
Bengals applauded for Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins extensions
From NFL.com:
"You can debate the logic in paying big money to a couple wideouts... but this is the best way for this team to remain relevant when it comes to championship contention. The first thing to remember here is that quarterback Joe Burrow wanted this done.
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"He campaigned for it publicly, which meant Bengals ownership had to think long and hard about upsetting its franchise quarterback. It's also important to note that this trio led the team to a Super Bowl four years ago and the AFC Championship Game three years ago."
By signing both Chase and Higgins to massive deals, the Bengals basically went all-in on offense. The offense will clearly be the identity of the team, and hopefully the main catalyst to success. Defensively, well, they'll just have to hope that the unit is adequate enough, although it wasn't for much of the 2024 season.
Cincinnati will have to hope that they can consistently outscore teams, and that the star-studded offense will be able to lift the team to victory week-in and week-out. After describing that plan, now feels like an appropriate time to pull out this classic GIF from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story:
At this point, the entire league is curious to see how the Bengals can build out a defense with so much capital committed to the other side of the ball. But, if they had lost Higgins, they would have taken a step backwards on offense and would have aggravated Burrow in the process. For now, they're at least very formidable on one side, and they have a happy quarterback.