NFL Rumors: Execs 'Skeptical' Ja'Marr Chase, Higgins Will Both Get Bengals Contracts

Joe Burrow's public attempts to encourage the Cincinnati Bengals to keep both of their star wide receivers don't seem likely to pay off.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, executives around the NFL are "skeptical" the Bengals will pay up to give both Tee Higgins a new contract and sign Ja'Marr Chase to a long-term extension.

One executive for an AFC team told Fowler it's "possible" for the Bengals to do it, but they would have to make "significant trade-offs" in other areas on the roster to make it happen.

"They will have close to $70 million a year tied up in receivers, plus the quarterback cost. I think it makes more sense to go the cheap route, especially given the improvements they need to make on defense," the executive said.

It has felt like a foregone conclusion for about 10 months that Higgins would be playing on another team in 2025. The Bengals used the franchise tag last offseason to keep him on the roster for 2024, but they never seemed to seriously engage him in talks for a long-term deal.

Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported in April that Cincinnati's offers "never approached" $20 million annually.

Higgins even acknowledged at the start of training camp that the 2024 season "could be the last ride for me and the guys."

After staying silent about the situation for most of the season, Burrow used his voice to make sure the Bengals knew he wanted Higgins back.

While the reputation of Bengals ownership is often unfavorable when it comes to paying up for star players, this is a roster that has several needs to fill that becomes more difficult to do if you're paying two wide receivers top-of-the-market money.

Of course, the Bengals haven't yet proven they are going to pay one receiver at that level. They were in talks with Chase about a long-term deal throughout the summer, but those discussions reportedly broke down over the payout of guaranteed money.

The price tag for Chase was already high going into 2024, but it's probably gone up after he won the receiving triple crown with 127 catches, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.

On top of a potential record-setting deal for Chase, the Bengals also have to fix a defense that finished 25th in points allowed per game. They allowed at least 25 points in 11 of 17 games this season.

The one great defensive player the Bengals have is Trey Hendrickson, who was threatening to retire and requested a trade last offseason because he wanted a new contract. He wound up playing on his current deal then led the NFL with 17.5 sacks this season.

Now, Hendrickson will be going into the final year of his contract with a $15.8 million base salary. That seems like a situation the Bengals will also have to figure out.

It's a champagne problem to have this many great players, but it's only good for the team if they show a willingness to pay at least some of them to keep their nucleus together and improve on the margins.

Those margins are where the Bengals were significantly hurt this season because they didn't do a good job of building around Burrow, Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson. They're entering an offseason when they might lose Higgins in free agency.