The Cincinnati Bengals handed out two huge contract extensions on Sunday. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will both stay in Cincinnati on lucrative four-year extensions. While fans celebrate the news, one NFL insider explained how the Bengals could have saved themselves a lot of money.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler explained in a recent article how the Bengals may have cost themselves by dragging their feet on a Chase extension.
“The prevailing theme in league circles is that the Bengals could have saved themselves at least $20 million or so had they extended Chase before his triple-crown season of 2024,” Fowler said.
Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708), and receiving touchdowns (17) in 2024. It is impossible to argue that this did not increase his price tag.
If the Bengals had agreed to an extension with Chase before the 2024 season, they could have saved some significant cash. At one point in September, he simply wanted a bigger contract than Justin Jefferson.
Regardless, the Bengals have a good thing going on offense with Chase and Higgins on board. They should be well worth their huge price tag.
“But as one AFC executive pointed out, the Bengals have a good thing going on offense and showed they are committed to winning more so than they have in the past,” Fowler continued.
Did the Bengals make it more difficult to extend Trey Hendrickson with recent extensions?
Weirdly enough, the Bengals may have shot themselves in the foot by extending Chase and Higgins.
Cincinnati also has high hopes on extending star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. However, Fowler explained how Cincinnati’s recent extensions may make it financially difficult for an extension to happen anytime soon.
“The problem now is that they could be very low on cash as they attempt to extend Hendrickson,” Fowler said.
Normally, the salary cap is a barrier for teams being able to afford players. In this case, Fowler is talking about simply having the cash on hand to pay out an extension.
When NFL contracts are signed, teams are immediately on the hook financially for any signing bonuses and fully-guaranteed money on those contracts. Since the Bengals extended Chase and Higgins to huge deals at the same time, that is a large hit to Cincinnati’s cash flow. There simply may not be enough money to extend Hendrickson right now.
Fowler warned that if that is the case, Hendrickson could be moved. This would increase the odds of the Bengals focusing on defense in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“If they move him, it puts a lot of pressure on the front office to support the defense through the draft,” Fowler concluded.
Hopefully the Bengals can find a way to keep Hendrickson.
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