Better Late Than Never? Bengals Better Hope So As Delaying Deals for Higgins, Chase May Cost More Than $276 million

CINCINNATI – When the Cincinnati Bengals put the finishing touches on contracts, they have the player sign his name in two places – at the bottom of the contract, and on the wall in the Paul Brown Conference Room.

The wall serves as the backdrop for the photos of the player signing his new deal with a huge grin on his face.

Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will be the next players to cheese for the customary photo op after both agreed to massive deals Sunday night, with Chase’s making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, while Higgins becomes the league’s richest WR2 and ninth highest paid receiver overall.

Chase will get $161 million over four seasons on top of the fifth-year option he will play on this year, keeping him in Cincinnati through 2029.

Higgins’ deal is for $115 million over four seasons, keeping him around through 2028.

But rather than the customary autograph wall, a more appropriate backdrop for the two receivers might be a huge banner that reads, “Better late than never.”

Because that seems to have been the organization’s thought process while dragging out for years the negotiations that finally led to a resolution Sunday night.

Whether “better late than never” actually proves to be true in terms of success on the field remains to be seen.

We already know it isn’t backed up on the balance sheet.

It’s never too late to do the right thing pic.twitter.com/Y3pnzXtSl5
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) March 14, 2025

Not only could the Bengals have signed both Chase and Higgins for less money had they got things together last offseason, they could have used the instant cap savings by doing such deals on another pass rusher or linebacker.

And that could have made the difference between missing the playoffs and wasting some of the best offensive performances in franchise – and league – and giving Joe Burrow, Chase and Higgins a chance to make a postseason run.

Even if you don’t think it would have made a difference last year, the feet dragging and ad-libbed free agency plan absolutely had negative affects last week as quality, affordable players at positions of need signed elsewhere while the Bengals were trying to figure out what they are doing.

Last month at the NFL Combine, director of player personnel Duke Tobin said “We don’t want to pay more for the same team.”

That’s a quote that is going to haunt him for a long time if the Bengals don’t make the playoffs this year, or if they bow out early.

Because what Tobin said the team didn’t want to do is exactly what it did.

Latest Growler w/ @ByJayMorrison & @MoEgger

💰 Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins sign. What was gained and lost in the process?

👓 What exactly did Burrow and his WRs just pull off?

🤝 The #Bengals chose not to go to war

📺: https://t.co/JMuax0gMhN
🔗: https://t.co/CsRcgF0Vsu pic.twitter.com/W5ap8eXhla
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 17, 2025

The Bengals have paid more to retain Chase, Higgins, Mike Gesicki, B.J. Hill, Joseph Ossai, Cody Ford, Jaxson Kirkland, Marco Wilson, Tanner Hudson, Cal Adomitis and Ryan Rehkow.

The only new additions have been defensive tackle TJ Slaton, a backup linebacker in Oren Burks and a backup running back in Samaje Perine.

The Bengals are still trying to sign Trey Hendrickson to a new contract, a process that has been held up by the Chase-Higgins deals.

That’s not to say bringing back Hendrickson would be the wrong move because he would be yet another piece in bringing back the same team at a higher price.

In fact, it’s the exact opposite.

Because they Bengals didn’t get anything done in free agency to bolster their pass rush, all of the good players are gone and they’re only choice is to give Hendrickson a bunch more money or work out a trade that includes a quality edge rusher in returner rather than just a draft pick.

Yes, having Burrow, Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson back gives the team an elite foundation.

But the Bengals missed the playoffs last year with three of those four guys having career years and Higgins not too far behind.

They still need two starting guards unless their plan is to hope Cordell Volson shows dramatic improvement in his fourth season and Ford, in year 7, transforms from quality backup to starting caliber.

Even if Hendrickson returns, the Bengals will still need to rely on the draft for another edge rusher and three technique.

And drafting defensive players – even with premium Day 1 and 2 picks – has been one of the team’s biggest issues the last few years.

None of this is to say the Bengals shouldn’t have paid Chase and Higgins.

It 100 percent was the right move. It just came way too late.

Having Burrow, Chase and Higgins together for the next four years is a luxury any team would love to have. Sure, it creates issues elsewhere, but those are things that can be figured out.

The Bengals could have had more money and less things to figure out had they moved quicker.

This offseason and free agency in particular look a lot like the 2024 season, with a slow start followed by a strong finish.

The Bengals better hope it’s not a direct reflection where the strong finish, while full of excitement and promise, all went for naught due to the inability to address problems sooner.

Some will say it’s never too late to do the right thing.

But are you sure about that?

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