Late Sunday night the Cincinnati Bengals agreed to huge contracts with Wide Receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The dynamic duo was looked at as a package deal, and they got a deal done. Cincinnati has been viewed as a habitually cheap team. They have shed that label with their massive spending this offseason. To further bolster their offense, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Tight End Mike Gesicki earlier this offseason.
While this news will certainly make Quarterback Joe Burrow happy, it is the improper way to build a winning team. The trio of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins will make $125 million per year. The NFL Salary Cap is $279.2 million for the 2025-26 season. Nearly 45% of their cap space is set aside for these three players. Will this recipe lead to a championship for the Bengals?
Where Have the Cincinnati Bengals Gone Wrong?
Cincinnati could have handled this situation differently, and it would have saved them boatloads of money. The team could have signed Higgins last offseason or traded him in either of the last two offseason’s. Cincinnati also could have locked up Chase during the season. Instead, the market kept climbing and the Bengals had to make Chase the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.
Even though the Bengals have spent hundreds of millions this offseason, they are reportedly hoping to sign Defensive End Trey Hendrickson to a contract extension of his own. Cincinnati had granted the star defender permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason. The Bengals went from a penny-pinching franchise to one spending money on the wrong things.
Final Thoughts
The Cincinnati Bengals are doubling down on a strategy that was not successful in 2024. Cincinnati had one of the NFL’s best offenses last season led by Burrow and his dynamic duo of receivers. The issue with the Cincinnati Bengals was having one of the league’s worst defenses. By prioritizing the contracts of Higgins and Chase, it is far from a guarantee the team will get a deal done with Hendrickson.
Even if they do, it will be even more money allocated to a handful of players. Cincinnati should have traded either Higgins or Chase for a bevy of picks to help replenish their roster. This strategy will require Cincinnati to draft better than any team in the league. They will have no salary cap space to add top-flight veterans for the foreseeable future.
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