Bengals lock up both star wideouts — was it the right move?

It’s official: receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are staying in Cincinnati for the foreseeable future. The Bengals locked up both of their star wideouts at the same time on four-year deals. Seeing two mega deals happen in tandem is an unprecedented move, and one that’s surely going to draw both praise and ire.

Our Bengals writer John Sheeran broke down this move extensively, giving a play-by-play on how it came together and discussing what it means for Cincinnati long term. Let’s take a look at some highlights from his piece:

First, the numbers: “Chase has agreed to terms on a four-year, $161 million contract extension with Cincinnati. Higgins is set to sign a new deal lasting four years and worth $115 million.”

How did these deals come to be? “The plan to retain both Chase and Higgins has been years in the making. Once the 2021 season wrapped with a trip to the Super Bowl, the Bengals knew both of their stud wideouts were going to be priorities to keep around. Many teams to this day are searching for a genuine No. 1 wide receiver. Cincinnati managed to draft two in back-to-back years. You pretty much never see that happen.”

Why wasn’t Chase signed earlier? “Chase and the Bengals nearly crossed the goal line right before Week 1 [of 2024] after Chase declined to practice throughout training camp, but disagreements about cash flow and when guarantees would trigger created an impasse. Since then, the salary cap took another large leap, and both Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett briefly earned the title of the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL.

“By not getting Chase signed last September, his price went up considerably. That he won the receiver triple crown and achieved First Team All-Pro status at just 24 years of age confirmed how costly of a mistake it was to not seal the deal six months ago when it was simply Justin Jefferson’s $35 million per year contract to eclipse.”

What about Higgins? What took so long? “Initial talks began in 2023 when Higgins’ agent was David Mulugheta. Cincinnati and Mulugheta did not get off on the right foot. The Bengals’ first offer was under $20 million per year, as reported by Cincinnati.com’s Kelsey Conway. Both sides continued to work toward a deal that offseason, but the Bengals wouldn’t include the level of guaranteed money Mulugheta has been known to push for. This is the same agent who got Deshaun Watson his unprecedented fully guaranteed contract from the Cleveland Browns.

“Mulugheta and the Bengals still weren’t seeing eye-to-eye entering 2024 and the club placed the franchise tag on Higgins very early in the two-week window it was available. It was at this point everyone believed the Bengals had lost faith they could sign him to a long-term contract. They’ll get one more year out of him and let him go in 2025, just like they did with Jessie Bates III, whom was also represented by Mulugheta.

“Mulugheta and Higgins tried forcing their way out with multiple trade requests. The Bengals, as they do, didn’t budge. Higgins swallowed his pride in the summer and reported to training camp after signing the tag, determined to make the most out of an unfortunate situation.

“He did much more than that. Not only did he rebound back to his 2021-22 level of production, he made a decision that altered all expectations from there. He replaced Mulugheta with Arceneaux, the same agent who represents Chase.”

This is an expensive WR duo. Are we sure it’s worth it? “There exists an argument that paying both Chase and Higgins isn’t wise. That this level of capital going to the receivers of an elite QB would be better spent elsewhere.

“Forget that for a second. If your team is infamous for letting good players walk in the name of frugality, and spending more money in comparison over the course of several years when trying to replace them, avoiding that whole charade is huge on its own.

“For all the worries about expensive future cap hits, the Bengals don’t have any more players on their team right now that can command large extensions for the next few years. They would have even more resources without extending Higgins, but again, those same resources would be used to try and replace him anyways. Ask around the NFL how hard it’s become to find that guy at receiver.

“The Bengals have two of them. That’s a win no matter how you look at it.”

Latest free agency signings, trades, cuts and more from the weekend

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While the free agency action is beginning to slow down a bit, we still had a handful of notable moves over the weekend. Let’s go over some of the top transactions from the past few days:

Seahawks sign WR Cooper Kupp (and MVS): Seattle won the Kupp sweepstakes, signing the former Los Angeles Rams star to a three-year, $45 million deal, providing a new weapon for newly-acquired quarterback Sam Darnold. In other news, the Seahawks also picked up WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a one-year, $5.5 million deal.

Texans extend star cornerback, trade for O-lineman: Houston locked up Derek Stingley Jr. on a three-year, $90 million extension with $89 million guaranteed. The team also sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for offensive guard Ed Ingram.

Vikings trade for an RB: Minnesota used that pick acquired in the Ingram trade to acquire Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers.

Raiders sign an RB: Las Vegas picked up Raheem Mostert on a one-year, $2.1 million deal.

Cowboys bring back familiar face: Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. is returning to Dallas after spending last year with the Washington Commanders. Fowler signed a one-year deal worth up to $8 million.

Titans sign one, release one: Tennessee picked up QB Brandon Allen to be its backup signal-caller. Meanwhile, the team also released CB Chidobe Awuzie just one year after signing him to a three-year, $36 million deal.

Chiefs sign two: Kansas City also has a new backup QB in former Raider Gardner Minshew. K.C. also retained running back Kareem Hunt on a one-year deal.

Ravens get a backup, too: Baltimore nabbed QB Cooper Rush from the Cowboys, signing him to a two-year, $12.2 million deal.