ClutchPoints
The Cincinnati Bengals are entering a make-or-break offseason, and Joe Burrow has made his stance clear on one thing.
Burrow wants the team to prioritize paying wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. With Chase set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, Burrow believes locking up his top target should be the Bengals’ number one focus.
Burrow, who threw for a league-best 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, knows exactly what Chase means to this team. During the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Challenge, he didn’t hold back his thoughts.
“I don’t know what more he could show and do to prove himself. We have several guys like that who have stepped up for us and deserve to be paid—deserve to be paid what they’re worth,” said Burrow.
Burrow knows firsthand how valuable Chase is. After all, their chemistry goes all the way back to their LSU days, when they won a national championship together in 2019.
Chase had an unreal 2024 season, leading the league in receptions (127), yards (1,708), and touchdowns (17). That earned him the prestigious Triple Crown, a rare accomplishment that only two other receivers, Steve Smith (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021), have achieved in the past 20 years. He was the heartbeat of Cincinnati’s offense, helping them finish seventh in PFN’s Offense+ rankings with an 83.4 B grade.
Now comes the tricky part, which is his contract. Chase is set to reset the wide receiver market, and for good reason. Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million deal with $110 million guaranteed and CeeDee Lamb’s four-year, $136 million contract currently set the bar. Rumors suggested that Chase wanted to top Jefferson’s deal by one penny, but he has denied this. Still, given his production, he could easily push past $140 million, maybe even topping Jefferson’s $35 million per year average.
But Chase isn’t the only Bengal looking for a payday. Tee Higgins, who racked up 10 touchdowns last season, also needs a new contract. Unlike Chase, he was hit with the franchise tag last offseason for $21.8 million. If Cincinnati goes all-in on Chase, Higgins might have to test free agency, where he’d immediately be one of the most in-demand receivers.
Also, let’s not forget Trey Hendrickson. The star pass rusher led the league in sacks last year and is also due for a new deal. Although Burrow has made it clear that he wants Chase, Higgins, and Hendrickson all back, that’s easier said than done. With the salary cap in play, keeping all three seems like a long shot.
Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin has already called extending the WR a “priority.” But the reality is, if Chase gets a record-breaking deal, someone else is likely on the way out and right now, unfortunately, Higgins seems like the odd man out.
Whether the Bengals can keep Chase, Higgins, and Hendrickson is still up in the air, but one thing’s for sure, Joe Burrow wants his top playmakers secured for the long run.
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