The Bengals go into 2026 with strength all over the field; however, it's no secret that their strength is in the offense, specifically their wide receiver corps. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are no doubt the best one-two punch in the NFL and are two of the best wideouts in the league. (One of them IS the best.)
On March 17 last year, the Bengals made a franchise-defining move by extending both Chase and Higgins with new long-term deals, keeping them at Paycor Stadium for the foreseeable future. All the talk suggested they could never afford it, and that Joe Burrow was starting to feel unsettled, and they silenced it all in one go.
The Bengals' receiver duo are one of the key reasons why Cincy are poised to be contenders yet again, and the fanbase will never forget the day the front office secured them both.
Flowers' new deal is nowhere near as cost-efficient as Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins contracts
Speaking of receiver contract extensions, AFC North rivals Baltimore recently agreed to a four-year, $140 million deal with Zay Flowers per Adam Schefter, giving Lamar Jackson his long-term alpha pass-catcher. The new deal works out at $35 million a year on average, which ties Vikings star Justin Jefferson.
The $35M per year extension for Zay Flowers ties him with Justin Jefferson in new-money average per year.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2026
1) Jaxon Smith-Njigba: $42.15M
2) Ja'Marr Chase: $40.25M
3) Drake London: $35.25M
4) Zay Flowers: $35M
T-4) Justin Jefferson: $35M
6) CeeDee Lamb: $34M https://t.co/N2YCFEvprj
But, if anything, the recent deal for Flowers shows just how good a deal the Bengals got with Chase and Higgins last year. Chase's deal works out at around $40 million per year, and Higgins' deal works out at around $29 million a year.
There's no doubting that Chase is far better than Flowers, but you could also argue that Higgins is a better player too, and the Bengals got him for a fraction of the price. So far in his NFL career, Tee has averaged over 900 yards per year, and 7.5 touchdowns.
Flowers has averaged just over 1,000 yards and 4.5 touchdowns per year, so more yards, less touchdowns, but remember, Flowers is the WR1 in Baltimore, and Higgins has had to compete with one of the best pass catchers the NFL has ever seen.
When you compare the two, $35 million a year for Flowers and $29 million for Higgins, it shows what a steal the Bengals managed to get. Not to mention the fact that for just $5 million more a year, Cincinnati has got Chase and the Ravens have got Flowers.
The Bengals managed quite the steals when they signed Chase and Higgins to extensions last offseason at the same time.
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