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Tee Higgins is not the only Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver that’s unhappy about his contract situation. While Higgins has received the most press due to his trade request, Ja’Marr Chase is also in line for a new contract.
Both are now absent from voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) as they look for new deals.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report their absences.
Being away from voluntary off-season activities is not necessarily the end of the world. If the two are absent from mandatory minicamp later this summer or training camp, things will get more serious.
Chase, 24, is eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his career this offseason. The former top-five pick from LSU is obviously angling to become one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the game.
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We’ve seen top-end wide receivers sign lucrative long-term contracts this offseason. Amon-Ra St. Brown earned a four-year, $120 million contract with the Detroit Lions. A.J. Brown, Calvin Ridley, DeVonta Smith and most-recently Nico Collins got the bag.
As for a potential Chase contract, a report earlier in the spring indicated that he could be looking at $35 million annually. That would make Chase the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. He’s more than earned it, too.
It’s going to be all about market dynamics. Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys) and Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers) are all also in line for new deals. Of that group, Jefferson is the likeliest to receive a record-breaking contract.