A prominent NFL insider believes the Cincinnati Bengals front office may have completely flipped their strategy about who will be their No. 1 wide receiver in 2025 and beyond.
Over the last four seasons, the Bengals have emerged as one of the NFL’s best offenses. Obviously, having a top-five quarterback like Joe Burrow plays a major part in why the offense has played at an elite level during that time.
Related: Where do the Cincinnati Bengals land in our latest NFL power rankings?
However, Burrow has had a lot of help and a pair of great targets. After Cincinnati used the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Ja’Marr Chase, the team created a dynamic wideout duo with him and Tee Higgins. The stud wide receivers can be the WR1 on any team. And they have played a key role in Burrow’s emergence as one of the league’s best QBs.
However, their success has also created a dilemma. Receiver contracts have skyrocketed over the last few seasons. So re-signing a pair of stars with WR1 talent is impossible if you want to build a Super Bowl contender. Over the last year, the belief has been that Higgins will be the odd man out and will depart in free agency this offseason.
But ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano believes the thinking at Bengals headquarters may have changed in recent weeks. And Higgins may no longer be the odd receiver out.
- Tee Higgins stats (2024): 8 games, 45 catches, 581 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns, 12.9 yards per catch
Will the Cincinnati Bengals choose Tee Higgins over Ja’Marr Chase this offseason?
“I think there has long been a presumption that the Bengals wouldn’t be able to bring back both Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase and that they’d ultimately choose Chase as the one to keep,” Graziano wrote. “Franchising Higgins this offseason while trying to do an extension with Chase supported that idea. But you do start to wonder.
“The Bengals didn’t get the deal done with Chase, who is having a potential triple-crown season. Now he could expect to be the league’s highest-paid receiver (which means more than Justin Jefferson’s $35 million per year),” he added. “There are a number of teams around the NFL who believe that’s too much to pay a wide receiver, regardless of his talent. If the Bengals turn out to be such a team, is it possible they’d pivot? Signing Higgins would be both their best leverage against Chase in negotiations and their best insurance against losing him.”
- Ja’Marr Chase stats (2024): 13 games, 93 catches, 1,319 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns, 14.2 yards per catch
The Cincinnati Bengals are in a very difficult position. Chase has been one of the best wide receivers on the planet this season. However, paying him at an elite level while already locked into a $275 million contract with Joe Burrow is not a way to build a Super Bowl contender.
If they did seriously consider trading Chase while his value is at a peak they could land a fantastic return. It could even include a first-round pick in next April’s NFL Draft.
Related: Find out where the Cincinnati Bengals land in our Week 15 NFL offense rankings