The Bengals are in the process of finalizing contract extensions for both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, league sources say.
"The deals are done," one source said familiar with the situation.
Rocky Arceneaux of Alliance Sports represents both Higgins and Chase. Both sides are working out the particulars of both contracts, but everyone involved expects the deals to be finalized in the near future.
NFL Network was the first to report that the Bengals had made "significant progress" on both contracts on Friday.
One source believes that the deals could've been announced then, but both parties wanted to get through the rest of the details before making the announcement.
Chase's deal will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Meanwhile, Higgins is expected to sign an agreement worth nearly $30 million per season.
Chase became the fifth player since the merger to win the NFL's triple crown. He led the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17).
The Bengals picked Chase with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Since then, he helped Cincinnati reach Super Bowl LVI. They also had back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship Game in 2021 and 2022.
"He's a key player. Next to Joe, he's our next one," Bengals President Mike Brown said last July. "He knows it, we know it. This [contract talks] may take a while. We are gonna bend over backwards to get it done. I can't tell you when, though."
The Bengals are keeping Chase long-term and they're also keeping his running mate.
Higgins, 26, has 330 receptions for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns in his five seasons with the Bengals. They took him in the second-round (33rd overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He had 73 catches for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in 12 games last season. The Bengals finished 9-8, but they were 8-4 with Higgins in the lineup.
“Tee is a need, yes," Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said in December. "He's very important. It's not even just his production, it's his presence. It's how he comes to work every day, how the defenses have to play us when he's out there. Tee plays such a big part in what we do here and has for five years now. very important,” Burrow said. “It's not even just his production, it's his presence. It's how he comes to work every day, how the defenses have to play us when he's out there. Tee plays such a big part in what we do here and has for five years now."
Expect both contracts to be finalized in the near future. Exact details on the salaries and structure will look like are unknown at this time, but both sides are working on relatively minor details and everyone involved expects the contracts to be finalized soon.
