Strategic Moves: Bengals Pursue Long-Term Contracts for Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson

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Strategic Moves: Bengals Pursue Long-Term Contracts for Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson

The Bengals are paying attention to Joe Burrow.

According to Jeremy Fowler from ESPN, they want to secure long-term deals for three key players: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Trey Hendrickson.

But making these deals happen is a different story. Last year, the Bengals tried to sign Chase. They had the money figured out, but the deal structure was off.

The real question now is whether their offers will be attractive enough. For Chase, reports suggest he might need at least $40 million per year. This offer should include solid guarantees and a fair cash flow. With his standout performance last season—leading the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns—negotiations won’t be easy.

As for Higgins, the Bengals might use the franchise tag if a longer deal isn’t reached. With the tag, Higgins could earn about $26.8 million. If he plays under it this year, he’ll be back on the market next March, so the Bengals will need to offer a long-term deal that’s enticing enough to make him walk away from the tag.

If the offer lacks guarantees past the first year, why would he take it? He would need a much higher upfront payout to consider any deal that only offers one year of true security.

Hendrickson’s current salary is $16 million, which is significantly below what top players at his position earn. If they want to keep him, they need to get closer to Nick Bosa’s $34 million per year average, especially since Hendrickson had impressive stats with 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons.

Until these contracts are finalized, the Bengals might just be trying to show Burrow they’re making an effort. If he senses they’re not, it could lead to complications reminiscent of the Carson Palmer situation.



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