Reporte:Cincinnati Bengals Tee Higgins have spoken on contract extension,but deal not “imminent’
The Cincinnati Bengals have exercised the fifth-year option in Ja’Marr Chase’s rookie contract.
The wide receiver is due to earn a projected $21.8 million guaranteed salary for the 2025 season.
Picking up the option was a no-brainer for Cincinnati after the 24-year-old made his third straight Pro Bowl. In 16 games, he caught 100 passes for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns.
In general, opposing defenses have adjusted how they cover Chase after he regularly shredded secondaries deep and averaged 18 yards per reception as a rookie.
According to Pro Football Reference, his average depth of target (8.4) and average yards per reception before making a catch (6.8) career lows. Those numbers are only partially attributable to Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury, too, because there wasn’t a wide gulf between Burrow and Jake Browning in terms of looking downfield.
Still, Chase is widely considered a top-10 wideout in the league, and the Bengals have already seen they can win with him as the top pass-catcher in the offense.
While Cincinnati removed any uncertainty about Chase’s status for 2025, the hard part comes next.
Spotrac projects his value at $26.1 million annually, a figure that is bound to go up as the receiver market evolves. Of note, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Wednesday that Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Detroit Lions agreed to a four-year extension worth more than $120 million, with $77 million guaranteed.
Ahead of the Bengals’ season finale, the 6’0″ pass-catcher admitted he’d like to wait until Justin Jefferson signs a new deal first, referencing how Jefferson could help to send receiver salaries even higher.
