Bengals Make First Comments After Re-Signing Both Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins

The Cincinnati Bengals have officially extended wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the team announced Tuesday. The Bengals re-signed both Chase and Higgins to four-year extensions, with Chase set to receive $161 million over four years and Higgins making $115 during that span.

There was doubt over whether the Bengals could or would sign both receivers. Though it seemed clear the Bengals would extend Chase, the question was whether they could manage re-signing both Chase and Higgins at the same time. Not only did they manage to get them locked up, but did so relatively early into the offseason.

Ahead of Chase and Higgins's press conference, the Bengals released multiple statements to announce the extensions.

"Ja’Marr and Tee have proven they are outstanding wide receivers," said owner and team president Mike Brown. "Together with Joe Burrow, we have a very potent offense. That gives us a foundation to win games. It’s hard to cover both of them. Ja’Marr is gifted. He makes exceptional plays. I just look at the plays he makes and marvel. Tee has a great catch radius. He makes plays that stand out in your memory. We are fortunate to have this pair of receivers."

Director of player personnel Duke Tobin, who originally said the Bengals planned to make Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback, added: “The Bengals have a long history of drafting and retaining elite wide receivers, and we’re happy to continue that tradition with Ja’Marr and Tee. We are known for our explosive, high-scoring offense and Ja’Marr and Tee are a big part of that identity. They earned these extensions with their abilities and promise for the future. We have our receivers. The rest of the league can go find their own."

The Bengals now have the core of their offense—Burrow, Chase, and Higgins—together for seasons to come. They can pivot their attention to their championship pursuit, looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2021 season.

"We look forward to a great future with this duo leading the way," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in the statement.