New Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins contract projections for impending mega deals

Sooner or later, both wide receivers will break the bank.

What the Bengals do with Tee Higgins remains to be seen, but there’s not nearly as much, if any mystery with fellow wideout Ja’Marr Chase.

One way or another, the Bengals are keeping Chase for the foreseeable future, thanks in large part to having him under contract for two more years once his fifth-year option is picked up, followed by the potential use of the franchise tag.

That’s how the Bengals have some leverage on their side going into what’s expected to be a record-breaking deal for Chase, who should become one of, if not the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver at some point in 2024.

We now have a projection of what his long-term contract extension will look like, courtesy of Spotrac.

Here’s how Spotrac projects Chase’s contract:

• 4 years, $120,000,000
• $30,000,000 AAV
• $46M guaranteed at signing
• $70M practically guaranteed

The $30 million annual value for Chase comes in just behind the $32 million projection for CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.

As of now, Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill’s four-year, $120 million deal is the richest contract in NFL history for a wide receiver and the only one to ever hit that $30+ million annual mark, but that mark could be hit by Chase, Lamb, and/or Jefferson.

Spotrac also projected a long-term contract for Tee Higgins, who just got hit with the franchise tag. Here’s what his projection looks like.

• 4 years, $104,000,000
• $26,000,000 AAV
• $40M guaranteed at signing
• $60M practically guaranteed

If Higgins can in fact get $26 million annually, he’s almost certainly not going to stay with the Bengals in the long term. They may keep him for 2024 and potentially 2025 if they’re willing to tag him twice, but beyond that will likely see him playing for a new team.

Of course, these projections aren’t locks to be what Higgins, Chase, and others get, but it’s a pretty good estimate. If nothing else, Chase should get the same deal Hill got with Miami.