Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Clemson LB Barrett Carter with the No. 119 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Barrett Carter is a good coverage linebacker. He has impressive athleticism that allows him to man up against running backs and tight ends, and he has the speed to carry them down the field. He also has good eye discipline in zone coverage and has the ability to pattern-match, which is significant considering how modern NFL defenses function.

Over the years, Carter's run defense has improved. He has enough physicality and strength to set the edge against tight ends and his missed tackles have significantly dropped this past season. Additionally, he's solid at using his athleticism to slip blocks in space when offensive linemen are coming in hot to the second level.

However, the Clemson product still struggles to hold his ground against offensive linemen and will allow running backs to pick up extra yards instead of being aggressive and closing in on them. Also, his instincts are still a work in progress and linemen who are more measured when working up to the second level will be able to stay in front of him.

Overall, Carter has a chance at becoming a complete backer in the NFL if his ability to stack and shed improves and his instincts against the run become more consistent. Schematically, he'd be a good fit as a "SAM" linebacker with his ability to cover and take on blocks against tight ends.

MEASUREMENTS AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 231

HAND: 9¼”

ARM: 32⅛”

WINGSPAN: 78⅝”

40-YARD DASH: 4.63

SHUTTLE: 4.41

VERTICAL: 34.5"

BROAD: 9'8"

POSITIVES

— Impressive movement skills overall; good change of direction and speed.

— Can cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage with his athletic ability.

— Good eye discipline in zone coverage to locate threats coming into his area. Has shown good route recognition to pattern-match.

— Reads the quarterback's eyes well and has the movement skills to tighten throwing windows. Also, stays deep in his area as an underneath defender in zone coverage to help defensive backs against throws to the middle of the field.

— Speed helps him close or cover the flats in coverage and crash downhill against the run.

— Physical and strong enough at the point of attack to set the edge when taking on blocks against tight ends. He also takes on blocks with his hands.

— Takes solid angles in pursuit against outside runs.

NEGATIVES

— Lacks the strength to hold his ground and get off blocks from offensive linemen in the running game.

— Instincts against the run are shaky, he often fits into the wrong gap and will fall for eye candy in the backfield.

— Passive when tackling. Lets ball-carriers come to him when he can reduce space or yards.

— Needs to do a better job of understanding how to use safety help in zone coverage. Will overplay his leverage instead of funneling the receiver into the safety.

— Subpar ball skills in coverage. Struggles to locate the ball in the air and lacks the hand-eye coordination to get PBUs

NOTES

— Born Oct. 23, 2002

— 5-Star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— 2023: Second-Team All-ACC, All-ACC Academic Team

— 2022: Fourth-Team All-American, First-Team All-ACC, All-ACC Academic Team

— Injuries: 2022 (Concussion, missed 1 game), 2023 (Ankle, missed 1 game)

GRADE: 6.9 (Potential Role Player — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 121

POSITION RANK: LB8

PRO COMPARISON: Kwon Alexander

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

The Cincinnati Bengals selected South Carolina LB Demetrius Knight Jr. with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Demetrius Knight Jr. is a former dual-threat quarterback and a six-year senior which shows up in his instincts against the run. He's quick to key and diagnose, recognizes when he can shoot gaps, is good at mirror running backs on zone runs and can sift through the trash to make tackles.

Knight also takes on blocks with his hands, has good arm length and upper body strength to get extension and escape against offensive linemen. Additionally, his long arms increase his tackle radius/range as the former Gamecock has very few flaws as a run defender.

However, Knight isn't very fluid and has limited lateral movement skills that impact his ability to cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage. Also, he has bad eye discipline in zone coverage, often getting manipulated by quarterbacks and caught out of his area. So, he's more of a two-down linebacker at the next level.

Overall, Knight would be a good fit as an inside linebacker in either odd or even fronts. But teams may view him as a low-ceiling prospect as he's older, turning 25 years old before his rookie season.

MEASUREMENTS AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 246

HAND: 10"

ARM: 33¼"

WINGSPAN: 80½”

40-YARD DASH: 4.58

3-CONE: 7.12

SHUTTLE: 4.25

VERTICAL: 31.5"

BROAD: 9'10"

POSITIVES

— Solid size with a thick build and good arm length.

— Has good instincts as a run defender to quickly key and diagnose plays and get into the right position.

— Takes on blocks with his hands and has the strength and length to get extension on blocks.

— Also defeats blocks with his hands well and has a decent rip move to beat offensive linemen climbing to the second level.

— Drops his pads and wraps up when tackling. Long arms increase tackling range/radius which helps when making open field tackles.

— Solid linear acceleration when crashing downhill as a run defender or to help click and close in zone coverage.

NEGATIVES

— Poor awareness in zone coverage, he doesn't locate threats coming into his area well and often isn't in a position to cover his area.

— Lack of agility/lateral movement skills makes it difficult for him to tighten throwing windows and play the ball in the air.

— Has tight hips and sub-par change of direction skills to cover shifty running backs in man coverage.

— Will get beat to the flat when covering backs out of the backfield.

— Angles toward the sideline are often too deep, leading to over-pursues.

NOTES

— Born Jul. 21, 2000

— A 3-star recruit in the 2019 class as a dual-threat quarterback, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— Played at Georgia Tech from 2019 to 2022 until he was dismissed from the team four games into the 2022 season, transferred to Charlotte in 2023 and then to South Carolina for this past season.

— 2024: Honorable Mention All-SEC

— 2023: First-Team All-AAC, second in AAC in tackles (96)

— Three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll

— Cousins with three-time Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall

GRADE: 7.2 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 89

POSITION RANK: LB6

PRO COMPARISON: Reggie Ragland

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Cincinnati Bengals fans could be forgiven if they experienced plenty of angst early in the offseason.

After all, the future of their team's dominant aerial attack was very much hanging in the balance with star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins each under team control for just one more season.

Chase was set to be on the final year of his rookie deal in 2025, while Cincinnati placed the franchise tag on Higgins for the second straight year. That Higgins requested a trade ahead of the 2024 free agency period and Chase participated in a "hold-in" during last year's training camp before they both eventually played only added another layer to the situation.

Yet they each agreed to deals in March, ending much of that angst and setting them up for the foreseeable future with Chase at four years and $161 million and Higgins at four years and $115 million.

Nobody understood how important that development was better than the quarterback throwing them the ball.

"When Tee's out there, you can just feel how the defense changes," Joe Burrow told Bleacher Report. "You can tell they can't just focus on Ja'Marr, they have to give attention to Tee. And that opens things up for everybody else.

"And Tee does everything right. We came in together, we've grown together as players and as people. We have great chemistry. You want to keep that around, you don't want to make it a habit of letting great players leave."

Burrow made it perfectly clear even before the extensions were agreed to how important it was that Cincinnati didn't "make it a habit of letting great players leave."

He was quite vocal about his desire for the front office to re-sign the playmakers and even said he was open to restructuring his own deal if necessary. That he wanted Chase and Higgins around comes as no surprise, as they are arguably the top wide receiver tandem in the league.

Burrow to Chase for their 17th TD connection on the season!

📺: #CINvsPIT on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/4AUYiDgNrK

— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

Chase, who has chemistry with Burrow that dates back to when they were together at LSU, was a Pro Bowler in each of his first four seasons in the NFL and just led the league in catches (127), receiving yards (1,708) and touchdown receptions (17) in 2024. Higgins posted back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022 and finished with 911 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games last year.

Of course, having a quarterback like Burrow also helps those pass-catchers put up numbers.

All Burrow did in 2024 was complete 70.6 percent of his passes for 4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He led the league in both passing yards and passing touchdowns while breaking his own single-season franchise records in both categories as well.

He was named to the Pro Bowl, finished fourth in MVP voting and won Comeback Player of the Year after he was limited to 10 games in 2024 because of a wrist injury. He also joined Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011) as the only players in NFL history to throw for at least 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns with fewer than 10 interceptions.

"It's somewhat gratifying," Burrow said of his individual success. "I work hard to go out and play well on Sundays. It's a year-long commitment, and I'm very committed. So to produce the way that I produced is definitely gratifying."

Still, Cincinnati finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the second straight season after reaching the Super Bowl during the 2021 campaign and AFC Championship Game during the 2022 campaign.

"The team success wasn't there, and we want to get that fixed and find ways that we can be better," the quarterback said. "So I'm just focused on finding ways that I can be better for the guys and better for the team so we can put ourselves in a better position."

Burrow looked to put himself in a better position off the field as well this offseason by partnering with Body Armor for the company's first-ever rebrand that will include new packaging and a refreshed visual identity.

"It's been great," Burrow said of the partnership. "From the beginning, it's really aligned with who I want to be. I always try to choose partners with messaging that you would be putting out regardless. When those things align, that's always a partnership that can last for a long time."

Body Armor is launching its rebrand with the Choose Better campaign that features athletes such as Burrow, Sabrina Ionescu, CeeDee Lamb and Connor McDavid encouraging people to strive to make better choices in a number of areas, including when it comes to their hydration.

"What I try to do is wake up and get better every day and make decisions that are going to help facilitate that," the Bengals star said. "So when I heard about the campaign, I knew it aligned perfectly with how my mindset has shifted the past couple of years. Just trying to be consistent in my routine. If you're consistent then you're going to continue getting better every day."

That Burrow is still just 28 years old, and getting better every day at what could be the start of his peak is surely terrifying to the rest of the league.

While some NFL players focus on improving in one particular area during the offseason, the LSU product is taking more of a big-picture approach as he looks to take strides from last year's incredible individual effort.

"I'll say I'm at a point where I'm not really going into an offseason and saying, 'this part of my game wasn't good enough, I need to be better there,'" he said. "I think I'm pretty well-rounded. So going into every offseason at this point, I'm just trying to better my overall game. There's not one specific thing that I'm going to focus on. It's just improving all my skills that I use day in and day out to be better overall."

Burrow to Higgins AGAIN.

Bengals re-take the lead.

📺: #DENvsCIN on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/UejCeEE24g

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2024

As long as Burrow is improving and under center, Cincinnati's championship window figures to be wide open.

That put the front office under even more of a microscope as it was tasked with maintaining and building a winner around one of the league's best signal-callers. With that as the backdrop, Burrow shared what he felt would qualify as a successful offseason for the Bengals.

"Re-sign our great players and add some talent through free agency or the draft that is going to come in and produce and help us immediately," he said. "We need some guys who can come in and fill some holes that we have. It's a big offseason for us, it's going to be interesting to see how it plays out."

Thus far, it has played out with Chase and Higgins remaining on new deals and the Trey Hendrickson situation still unresolved after the Bengals gave the pass-rusher who led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024 permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason.

Whether Hendrickson is still on the team when the 2025 season begins remains to be seen, but the Bengals can at least take solace knowing they will still have one of the NFL's top passing attacks for years to come with Burrow, Chase and Higgins.

And that alone means this offseason is off to a solid start for the AFC North team.

Trey Hendrickson's future with the Cincinnati Bengals remains up in the air this offseason amid rumors surrounding a new contract or a potential trade, and the pass-rusher opened up about how the process has been "frustrating."

Hendrickson appeared on Wednesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show and responded to comments from Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn suggesting the next step is now up to the player.

"That was a little disappointing because communication has been poor over the last couple months," Hendrickson said. "That's something I hold in high regard, and they have not communicated with my agent directly. It's been something that's a little bit frustrating, but, again, this is the business of it."

"Those comments from Katie Blackburn were definitely disappointing & communication has been poor over the last couple of months..

It's been a little bit frustrating & if they have anything they'd like to discuss we're definitely willing to listen" ~ Trey Hendrickson #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/C9PUdfKewj

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 2, 2025

The 30-year-old has one more season remaining on his contract, and the Bengals gave him permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason.

That was before the AFC North team came to terms on new contracts for wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, which means there may be even more uncertainty with Hendrickson at this point. 

After all, another extension with another star player would mean an even bigger financial commitment to the roster this offseason.

"I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at," Blackburn told reporters when discussing Hendrickson. "I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes. So, you know, it takes him to say yes to something, and also, we have all the respect in the world for him. He's been a great player. We're happy to have him. And so maybe we'll find a way to get something to work. We're just gonna see where it goes."

Those are the comments Hendrickson responded to, and he provided further context saying the communication has been "here and there." 

He also said: "We don't have any desire of being the highest-paid or first in line. We try to be as patient as possible."

"When I say that communication has been poor I mean that it's been here and there..

We don't have any desire to be the highest paid and we've tried to be as patient as possible"

Trey Hendrickson #PMSLive https://t.co/SMzJL6gWFD pic.twitter.com/p53eUYt7TJ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 2, 2025

Notable admission of contract desires from Hendrickson as part of that appearance on @PatMcAfeeShow:

"I’m not willing to play for incentives that will be out of my control. I don’t think I want to play for a short-term contract and see where it goes. I would like to tell my…

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 2, 2025

Patience is one thing, but Hendrickson may have even a bit more leverage than he did at the beginning of the offseason since fellow pass-rusher Sam Hubbard has now retired. Cincinnati's defense was among the worst in the league last season and could take yet another step back if Hendrickson isn't in the fold.

After all, he led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024 while reaching his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl in four years with the Bengals.

Cincinnati figures to have an explosive offense with Joe Burrow continuing to throw the ball to Chase and Higgins, but it will struggle to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and other AFC contenders if it doesn't take strides on the defensive side.

And keeping Hendrickson is one way it can do just that.

After the Cincinnati Bengals signed star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive contract extensions this offseason, some believe star quarterback Joe Burrow was the catalyst to make it happen.

One NFL executive joked to The Athletic's Mike Sando that "the credit should go to" Burrow, who was described as the "de facto [general manager]."

"It just proves that our league is becoming more like the NBA, with top players having more control," an exec said.

Burrow previously advocated for the Bengals to keep the band together by signing both Chase and Higgins. While he got his wish, another exec wondered if Cincinnati sacrificed the ability to improve in other areas.

"The thought of keeping their quarterback happy is good," the exec said, "but how can you build around him to get him where he needs to go? I’m going to go with fronts and defense over skill, especially when you already have one of the highest-paid receivers. To sign another one (Higgins) is interesting to me."

Chase was signed to a four-year, $161 million deal that includes $112 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with an average annual salary of $40.25 million. Higgins, who received the franchise tag for the second straight year, agreed to a four-year, $115 million deal that is guaranteed for the first two years.

Another exec told Sando that the Bengals could've saved money by signing both wideouts to new deals last offseason instead of waiting for this year, as they still have other areas on the roster that need to be addressed.

"They definitely needed to retain Chase, and then Higgins should have been a tag-and-trade candidate because you need the draft capital and you have to rebuild your defense," the exec said. "You could have made Trey Hendrickson happy (with a new deal) and have a draft pick if you moved on from Higgins."

Hendrickson was granted permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason, and ESPN's Ben Baby reported on Monday that he and Cincinnati remain at a contract impasse.

Still, Burrow should be satisfied with the Bengals' commitment to keeping the offense intact, as Chase and Higgins will remain one of the best receiver tandems in the league for years to come.

The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly won't trade defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who had been given permission to seek a deal amid his desire for a new contract.

Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported the latest on Hendrickson and the Bengals, who are reportedly looking to land the four-time Pro Bowler on a new contract.

“Can both sides reach a fair agreement?”@Schultz_Report has the latest on Trey Hendrickson’s contract situation with the Bengals.

Check out the full episode: https://t.co/fxhSDcitBT pic.twitter.com/pHt3UDyixI

— NFL on FOX Podcast (@NFLonFOXPod) March 25, 2025

"My understanding of the Trey Hendrickson situation is that the organization and ownership are fully prepared to move forward and attempt to negotiate a deal," Schultz said.

"I don't believe they want to trade him at all, and I actually would say after talking to multiple people involved that they have now reached the conclusion that a trade is really off the table. So that's great news for Bengals fans."

Hendrickson, 30, amassed an NFL-high 17.5 sacks last season. It marked the second straight season in which Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks.

He also had 36 quarterback hits, 46 tackles, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles en route to first-team All-Pro honors. Hendrickson finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year race to Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

Hendrickson is under contract through the 2025 season after signing a one-year extension in 2023. That came after he signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the team in free agency in 2021.

The Bengals have gone to work re-signing their top talents this year, namely wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki.

Bringing Hendrickson back into the mix for multiple years would be a huge win for the team as it looks to get back to making deep playoff runs, like in 2021 (AFC title) and 2022 (AFC runner-up).

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has been reporting on Hendrickson of late. On March 16, he had this to say in part, noting Hendrickson and the Bengals are looking for a "sweet spot."

"This one's complicated because Hendrickson does want a new contract well above $30 million per year. The Bengals have tried to sign him, they made him a contract offer. And I'm even told despite trade talks, they've had some reignited discussions with Hendrickson's people over the last few days, but it still hasn't gotten anywhere..."

One week later, there didn't seem to be any momentum toward a new deal. However, the Bengals didn't seem keen on a trade either, per Fowler.

"He has no intention of playing under his current contract, which has one year and $16 million left. He needs a new deal, but the Bengals have just simply not shown an eagerness to trade Hendrickson," Fowler reported on SportsCenter.

"And there's interest, there is trade interest from other teams trying to make this work, but it would take a really hefty trade package. Teams aren't willing to do that and pay Hendrickson right now. So, as much as I want to go with the field, I still think they can work something out, Hendrickson and the Bengals, on a new deal. It's been stagnant of late, it's sort of stalled, but they have a couple of months at least to try to shake this out and get a new deal done."

Schultz added more on the matter Tuesday too, with a nod toward Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter, who just signed a one-year, $35.6 million extension through 2026.

"Now it really becomes can both sides reach a fair agreement? Can they come together and find a number that works for not only Trey, but obviously the organization? And that's essential to this entire process.

"Now, last week, the Texans extended Danielle Hunter, and that was a big move, for a lot of reasons, obviously the money, but same age, same position, both All-Pro-caliber players, at the arguably the second-most important position in the league. That extension now provides a potential blueprint."

Per NFL.com's Grant Gordon, "Hunter will earn $32 million in 2025—which includes a $12.5 million raise—and $55.1 million over the next two seasons, with $54.1 million fully guaranteed."

Hendrickson is one of the NFL's best edge-rushers in football, and his contract is simply well below those of the game's top players, such as the Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett (four years, $160 million), the San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa (five years, $170 million) and the Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby (three years, $106.5 million).

Obviously, this is a situation to monitor moving forward, but as of now, signs are pointing to Hendrickson being a Bengal in 2025 at least.

Despite getting deals done with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't aggressively turned their attention to working things out with Trey Hendrickson.

Appearing on the Friday morning episode of SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler described talks between Hendrickson and the Bengals as "quiet" right now:

"I'm told the talks between the Bengals and Trey Hendrickson are quiet right now. They tried to reignite things last week on a contract extension, talked through a few days, exchanged the potential offers, couldn't reach an agreement as of now. Also, the Bengals have not shown an eagerness to trade Trey Hendrickson despite some clear interest from teams looking for a pass rusher at a premium spot. And so right now, this is at a stagnation point. The Bengals do want to pay Hendrickson. They made him contract offers, but they are not in the eyes of the player commensurate with his skill set as a guy who has 35 sacks over the last two years. The pass-rush market has exploded well above $35 million per year right now, so that's the rub right now. The team is going to continue to try; their goal all along has been to lock up all three stars, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson."

Fowler reported earlier this week that "it's entirely possible" Hendrickson could decide to sit out the entire 2025 season if he doesn't land a new contract.

Any notion of a player skipping games, thus losing paychecks, is far-fetched. Myles Garrett was reportedly willing to sit out games in 2025 if he didn't get traded by the Cleveland Browns two days before he agreed to an extension.

It did happen last season when Hasson Reddick's holdout with the New York Jets lasted through the team's first seven games before the two sides agreed to an adjusted contract.

The Bengals gave Hendrickson and his representatives permission to seek a trade amid their ongoing contract standoff. There's some doubt that they are actually entertaining moving the NFL's 2024 sack leader.

Per The Athletic's Ben Standig, the Bengals want "at minimum" a first-round pick back in a trade for Hendrickson, but there's also a feeling they have "a lack of interest" in moving him.

Having secured the nucleus of their offense by extending Chase and Higgins to play with Joe Burrow, fixing the defense has to be Cincinnati's top priority for the rest of this offseason.

There's virtually no one the Bengals could get who will be as impactful for their defense as Hendrickson. He was an All-Pro first-team selection last season after recording 36 quarterback hits and 17.5 sacks.

Since joining the Bengals as a free agent in March 2021 after spending four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Hendrickson's 57 sacks are the third-most in the NFL.

Hendrickson is set to earn $15.8 million in base salary next season, the final year of his current contract. His $21 million average annual salary ranks 10th among all edge rushers.

Cincinnati's defense finished 25th in points allowed last season. It was the team's worst ranking in that category since 2019 when it finished 2-14 and earned the No. 1 pick in the draft that was used to select Burrow.

The full details of the contracts for Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been revealed, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Details on the Bengals WR contracts ...

• Ja'Marr Chase gets $73.9M fully guaranteed.
• Chase's 3-year cashflow: $105M.
• $103.9M of that vests early.
• Tee Higgins' full guarantee: $30M.
• Higgins has $2M/year in per-game roster bonuses.

More 👇https://t.co/4xbKzgPReP

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 20, 2025

Chase signed a four-year, $161 million contract extension (through 2029), while Higgins inked a four-year, $115 million deal (through 2028).

Breer revealed the full details (h/t SI's Andy Nesbitt), some of which can be found below.

Chase got a deal that is "$73.9 million fully guaranteed at signing—$41.17 million in base salary, a roster bonus, and per-game roster bonuses for 2025; and $32.73 million in base salary and a roster bonus for 2026. His two-year total is $75 million, with another $1.1 million in per-game roster bonuses for 2026 not fully guaranteed until next March."

As for Higgins, he got $30 million fully guaranteed at signing in the form of a $20 million roster bonus (March 2025) plus a $10 million roster bonus (March 2026).

Higgins' $13.8 million base salary for 2025 is "not yet guaranteed," per SI, but he'll have more money on the way via other means.

"The practical guarantee here is the $45.9 million (if he plays in all 17 games this year), with $35.9 million due in 2025, and the $10 million roster bonus for next year subject to offsets (which means the Bengals could get out of the deal after a year with just what they paid in 2025, if someone paid him more than $10 million next)," per SI. "That said, the Bengals don’t have history of cutting guys after a year."

Landing both long-term is a big win for the Bengals.

Chase earned the NFL's wide receiver triple crown last year, leading the NFL with 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. Higgins had 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns even though he was sidelined for five games (two with a hamstring injury; three with a quad ailment).

They've formed an incredible and lethal trio with quarterback Joe Burrow that should keep the Bengals competitive through the decade.

Cincinnati still needs to shore up a defense and special teams that struggled last year and ultimately led to a 9-8 record that put the Bengals one game outside of the playoffs.

However, retaining this superstar trio is a key victory for the Bengals as they look to win the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl.

Prior to signing his historic contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals, star receiver Ja’Marr Chase wanted to ensure that his running mate Tee Higgins was also being rewarded this offseason.

The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins for the second straight year, but the two sides reached an agreement on a four-year, $115 million deal on the same day that Cincinnati and Chase agreed to a four-year, $161 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Chase told The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. that he made it clear to his agent Rocky Arceneaux that it was just as important to him that Higgins got paid as it was to secure his own deal.

“I’m not a greedy person, and I’m not selfish,” Chase said. “I’m not gonna overdo nothing. And this whole situation, throughout my whole process, I was talking to Rocky, actually making sure we get something on Tee’s done. Like, are we close to Tee’s before mine? I’m trying to make sure me and Tee are still … at least together.”

Higgins switched agents and joined Chase in having Arceneaux as his representative, making it easier for their deals to be completed at the same time.

Chase and Higgins are now the highest-paid receiver duo in the NFL by far, as their combined average annual salary of $69 million is over $10 million more than the next pair.

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins now will now have a combined average-per-year salary of $69 million — $10 million higher than any other WR duo:

🏈Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins – $69M
🏈Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle – $58.3M
🏈A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith – $57M

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2025

The historic salary aside, Chase said he’s glad Cincinnati was able to keep its passing attack intact for quarterback Joe Burrow as the team chases another run to the Super Bowl.

“I don’t know about Joe, but it is hard when you are out there and Tee is not out there,” Chase said. “It’s not easy at all. Tee out there makes my job easier. I make his job easier. It makes the running back’s job easier. The whole game slows down for me.”

The Cincinnati Bengals originally had a deal in place for between $37 million and $38 million per year for wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, but a promise to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL changed those plans after Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett inked a four-year, $160 million contract extension ($40 million per season), per ESPN's Adam Schefter (22-minute mark).

"I was told that they had the makings of a deal in place for Ja'Marr Chase at about $37, $38 million per year, about a week or two earlier, and then Myles Garrett got his deal done at $40 million a year as the non-quarterback who became the highest paid player in football," Schefter began.

"And the Bengals already had said that they would make Ja'Marr Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in football history, so even though they had the makings of a deal between 37 and 38, they had to go back to the table and update it after Myles Garrett's deal.

"So the Browns' deal with Garrett cost the Bengals on their deal with Ja'Marr Chase at a later date."

At his press conference on Tuesday, Chase acknowledged Garrett's deal "helped" him:

Ja'Marr: Myles (Garrett) set the bar. There was a lot going on at the time numbers wise. Myles really helped me.

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) March 18, 2025

Cincinnati had the opportunity to land an extension with Chase last year. Chase notably took part of training camp off while hoping for a contract extension, but nothing ever materialized.

Chase proceeded to catch 127 passes for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, leading all wide receivers in those categories. That certainly helped his contract cause and simultaneously hurt the Bengals, as Schefter noted.

"And if the Bengals had gotten the deal done a year ago, at that time Nick Bosa was the highest paid non-quarterback in football [$34 million]. Then they could have did it right after Justin Jefferson at [$35 million]. Then they could have did it before Myles Garrett, [$37 million, $38 million]. Then they did it after Garrett [$40.25 million]. By waiting, it was another $5 million-$6 million a year on average, which is a player or two."

Regardless of the circumstances, Chase is aboard on a four-year, $161 million extension, while the Bengals also got a deal done with Tee Higgins for four years and $115 million, per Schefter. They mark a pair of huge wins for the team as it searches to make the playoffs following two years outside the postseason.