Report: Multi-Year Guarantees Were 'Very Important' in Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase Contracts

A whirlwind negotiation to keep the stars in town.

Cincinnati Bengals receivers Tee Higgins (left) and Ja’marr Chase take the stage during a press conference to announce the signing of new contracts for the pair at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Chase becomes the new highest-paid non-quarterback player in the NFL. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — One lesser-known figure played a huge role in keeping Cincinnati's star pass catchers in the fold for years to come: Agent Rocky Arceneaux.

The representative for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins chatted one-on-one with The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway after the star duo signed their four-year deals with the team.

He discussed the importance of multi-year guarantees in their contracts, which Cincinnati did this time in a rare move from their end for non-quarterback deals.

"Well, it was very important. And I think, you know, it would not get done without the Bengals," Arceneaux told Conway on the need for multi-year guarantees. "You have to thank Katie (Blackburn) and Mike (Brown) for trusting us and having the fortitude to say, you know what, this is something we need to do. And it was very important, obviously on Tee because we felt like he was somewhat stifled from free agency, and we knew going into free agency he could get, you know, probably the first three guaranteed. So I said you're going to have to at least do two (years fully guaranteed), you know, we'll make the concession there.

"But with Ja’Marr, that was pretty much a non-starter with the year he had had and the career he's had to this point. But it was important for both of them. But again, you know, kudos to the Bengals for seeing it and breaking their precedent, I'm sure that was tough. And, you know, I'm sure every player from now on is going to want this. But, yeah, that's a part of it."

Chase reportedly has guaranteed money into the fourth year of his new deal, while Higgins's first two seasons are fully guaranteed with contract language that is yet to fully surface after the official signings on Tuesday.

Regardless, the 25 and 26-year-old stars should still be playing at high, high levels in 2030 and beyond, let alone the contract end dates of 2029 and 2028. There aren't many reasons to worry (if any) about multi-year commitments with players as polished as those two.

Check out Conway's full conversation with Arceneaux here.

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