Faced with arguably their most critical offseason in decades, the Cincinnati Bengals don’t want to lose what they’ve built. Even coming off a disappointing season, a franchise known for being cheap is determined to open their wallets and retain the talent they’ve acquired and developed.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and de-facto GM Duke Tobin spoke Tuesday at the NFL Combine and per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, were a “united” front in keeping WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins along with DE Trey Hendrickson.
All three are angling for big-money contracts this offseason. Chase’s will be the largest and a price tag that’s only increased after the two sides failed to strike a deal before the 2024 season. That will prove costly for Cincinnati after watching Chase win football’s Triple Crown leading the league in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Chase is fully expected to be the highest-paid receiver in football and potentially the highest-paid player who isn’t a quarterback.
Higgins won’t command quite as much money but an extension with him could broach $30 million. The two sides don’t currently sound close on a contract but the Bengals reportedly will franchise tag him for a second-straight season if need be. That will cost over $26 million.
The Bengals’ defense was a weakness but it certainly wasn’t due to Hendrickson. A key free agent signing ahead of the 2021 season, he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, including 3.5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. Turning 31 by the end of the year, Cincinnati may be careful in how they structure the deal but Hendrickson is worth top-dollar.
Perhaps the Bengals change of spending results from QB Joe Burrow putting public pressure on for the franchise to keep the group intact. They’re just a few years removed from AFC Title and Super Bowl appearances and if the team can ever avoid dog-slow starts, they’ll be one of the AFC’s top teams. That is, assuming they keep Chase, Higgins, and Hendrickson, a mission they intend on executing this offseason.
