The Cincinnati Bengals have been renowned as one of the most frugal and unyielding franchises in the history of professional sports. Over the past ten years, the front office team including both owner Mike Brown and director of player personnel Duke Tobin have not shied away from a disgruntled employee. In fact, they have taken virtually the exact same approach over the past twenty years, and in all but a few circumstances, the brute force strategy has paid off for them in the short term.
Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Unhappy with Contract Discussion
While superstar secondary receiver Tee Higgins is equally displeased with the front office’s management style, Pro Bowl wideout Ja’Marr Chase has stolen the show regarding his antics heading into the regular season. Chase is heading into the fourth year of his rookie contract which still equates to about $9 million in 2024 and $22 million in 2025 after the application of his fifth-year option tender. Unfortunately, that simply isn’t enough for the former All-Pro receiver out of LSU.
Talented Wideout Blows Minds with Monstrous Demands
It is typical for elite players in the NFL to compete with each other and bounce back and forth regarding who the highest-paid player at the position is. That means that after elite competitor Justin Jefferson signed a colossal extension earlier this year for four-years totaling $140 million ($35 million in average annual value), it was expected that Chase’s contract would be worth around $36 million per season.
While that was a reasonable expectation for the all-purpose playmaker, Chase blew that number out of the water when it was announced that he was expecting a four-year contract totaling $160 million ($40 million in average annual value). This would be a 14% increase on the previous all-time record set by Jefferson earlier this year and based on the slow pace of the quarterback pay bumps (approximately half a million in average annual value with each adjacent contract), that number would dramatically outpace the market.
What is the Argument for Chase’s contract demands?
Admittedly, Chase’s contract does seem excessive but an argument can be made that his situation was dramatically different than Jefferson’s. First off, Jefferson is a full year older than Chase and therefore has increased risk toward the end of the four-year extension for leveling off. Second, Chase is still under contract for another two years, indicating that the monstrous extension would really take effect in 2026. Based on how aggressive inflation has impacted the salary cap, it is entirely possible that the best receiver in the NFL could be making $40 million per season in 2026.
Lamb’s New Deal Delivers Major Blow to Chase’s Expectations
Fast forward to Monday afternoon when Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb signed a four-year contract extension worth approximately $136 million ($34 million in average annual value). Given that Lamb just delivered an elite season in 2024 where he tallied up 135 receptions for 1,749 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, the fact that his average annual value actually regressed slightly compared to Jefferson deals a blow to Chase’s goal of $40 million per season. Given that two elite talents that are arguably equal to Chase are each earning $35 million or less, it makes the argument for $40 million almost moot.
While it would almost certainly benefit Chase down the line, one of Cincinnati’s favorite tactics has been to delay negotiations until they are mandatory. That is the approach they took with Higgins (obviously with far less successful results) and since Chase is still under contract for another two years in Cincinnati, it would be almost impossible for him to meaningfully sit out any real regular season games. The front office currently holds all the cards and it is likely only a matter of time before Chase signs his anticipated contract for approximately $36 million per season.
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