NFL Rumors: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Expected to Total $70M AAV in Bengals Contracts

If and when the Cincinnati Bengals sign star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to new contracts, it will reportedly cost them a significant chunk of change.

During an appearance Saturday on SportsCenter (beginning at the 1:08 mark of the video), ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said the expectation is that the total average annual value of Chase and Higgins' contracts will be around $70 million:

Fowler added that the Bengals have "made a lot of progress" with regard to deals for Chase and Higgins, which echoed a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who said Friday that "significant progress" had been made, and the contracts could be finalized "in the coming days."

It has been apparent since last year that decisions would soon have to be made on the futures of Chase and Higgins in Cincinnati.

While the Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins to keep him in the fold last season, Chase was a hold in during training camp as he pursued a new deal. No agreement was reached, but Chase eventually began practicing and played the entire 2024 season.

The Bengals franchised Higgins for a second time this offseason, and Chase is currently set to enter the final year of his rookie contract.

Chase, 25, enjoyed the best season of his spectacular, young career in 2024, winning the receiving Triple Crown with 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He was named a Pro Bowler for the fourth time and earned the first All-Pro First Team selection of his career.

Given Chase's production last season and throughout his four years in the NFL, he figures to reset the wide receiver market when he signs his new deal.

Currently, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings has the largest contract for a wideout in the NFL in terms of both total value and average annual value, as he signed a four-year, $140 million deal last year.

If Chase signs a deal in the neighborhood of a $40 million AAV, it could set Higgins up to land a contract that pays him an average of around $30 million annually.

That would tie Higgins with Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins and Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers for the seventh-richest deal among wide receivers.

While nowhere near as dominant as Chase, the 26-year-old Higgins has been a highly productive receiver during his five-year NFL career as well.

Higgins has reached the 900-yard receiving mark in four of his five seasons, including going over 1,000 yards in 2021 and 2022.

Injuries limited Higgins to 12 games in 2023, and he finished with a career-low 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns as a result.

Even though injuries cost Higgins five games again last season, he bounced back to the tune of 73 grabs for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns.

Superstar pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, is also in search of a new deal.

The Bengals gave Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, but Fowler said they still hope to sign Hendrickson in addition to Chase and Higgins, and there is "still a chance they can pull it off."

Losing any of Chase, Higgins or Hendrickson would be devastating for the Bengals since they have missed the playoffs in back-to-back years even with them on the roster.