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The Cincinnati Bengals had a disappointing 2024 season. Cincinnati finished the regular season 9-8 and barely missed the playoffs. The Bengals finished the regular season strong on a five-game winning streak. However, it was not enough to make up for the damage already done earlier in the season. Now Cincinnati must transition into offseason mode and figure out what to do about their two top wide receivers.
A recent ESPN article ranked the top 50 players ahead of NFL free agency in March. Bengals fans will not be surprised to learn that WR Tee Higgins came in first place in that ranking.
There is no guarantee that Higgins comes back to Cincinnati. The Bengals have already handed out a big contract to Joe Burrow. Now they have to figure out if they can do that for both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the same offseason.
Some executives are reportedly skeptical that Cincinnati can pay both Higgins and Chase.
“It’s possible, but would require some significant trade-offs,” an AFC exec said. “They will have close to $70 million a year tied up in receivers, plus the quarterback cost. I think it makes more sense to go the cheap route, especially given the improvements they need to make on defense.”
The Bengals will certainly keep at least one of these wide receivers. However, it may be impossible to keep both players and fix the defense during the same offseason.
If the Bengals are forced to choose, will they prioritize keeping Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins?
This feels almost like an easy answer, but the reality is that there is no easy choice here.
Ja’Marr Chase is the easy answer to the question. Chase was the best receiver in the NFL during the 2024 season. He hauled in 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. All three of those were the best in the league, meaning Chase won the proverbial triple crown. Chase also has a deep connection to QB Joe Burrow after they played together at LSU.
However, all of that means that Chase will command a hefty price tag.
By comparison, Tee Higgins is the economy option. He has not been as available as Chase, but still puts up solid production.
There is an argument for franchise tagging, then trading, Ja’Marr Chase and re-signing Tee Higgins. But this would likely be incredibly unpopular among Bengals fans and even within the team’s own locker room.
The most realistic scenario is that Cincinnati re-signs Chase and lets Higgins walk in free agency.
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