Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin spoke to media members at the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and he provided some promising updates regarding contract talks with star wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.
When it comes to Higgins, Tobin said that he's "optimistic" about keeping the star pass-catcher in Cincinnati, despite rampant speculation that he could sign elsewhere in free agency over the offseason.
Recent reports suggest that the Bengals plan to use the franchise tag on Higgins for a second consecutive season with the hopes of signing him to a long-term deal, and while Tobin was non-committal about the potential use of the tag, he did acknowledge that getting a long-term deal done with Higgins is the team's preference.
Duke Tobin is optimistic about long-term extensions for both Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase
If the Bengals do plan to use the franchise tag on Higgins, they have until Tuesday, March 4 to do so, as that's the deadline to utilize the tag. If they don't have a long-term deal ironed out with Higgins by then, they could always use the tag and then continue to negotiate a longer deal.
Overall though, it certainly sounds like the Bengals plan to keep Higgins in Cincinnati for the 2025 season, at least, and potentially much longer, which must sound like music to the ears of star quarterback Joe Burrow, who has consistently campaigned for the team to keep Higgins.
Meanwhile, it also sounds like the team is right on the doorstep when it comes to an extension for Chase, who led the NFL in receptions, touchdowns and receiving yards in 2024. Chase is expected to reset the market with his new deal, and Tobin basically confirmed that the team will indeed make Chase the highest-paid non-QB in NFL 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. The earlier we can do some of this stuff, the freer it gives us to build the rest of the team."
Obviously, pen still needs to be put to paper on both deals, but it certainly sounds like the Bengals are in a good place when it comes to getting deals done with their two star receivers. They'll likely have to figure out a deal with Higgins first, as Tobin noted, as he isn't currently under contract.
"Obviously Tee is the one that's not signed for the future right now, and so that puts the onus on us to do something," Tobin said.
Will that something be a long-term deal, or a second consecutive franchise tag? We should find out that answer in the near future.
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