Contract negotiations between Cincinnati and its top two receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, finally wrapped up this offseason. Chase secured a four-year, $161 million deal, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Meanwhile, Higgins signed a four-year, $115 million contract, averaging $28.75 million per year.
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Initially, reports suggested that Higgins’ contract guaranteed him significant money in the first two years. However, upon closer examination, the details reveal a catch—the Bengals may not have been as generous as they first appeared, leaving Higgins in a less favorable position than expected.
According to the details of Higgins’ contract as per Yahoo Sports, nothing in 2025 is guaranteed, however, a $20 million roster bonus is earned five days after Higgins puts pen to paper. The Bengals set an additional $10 million (guaranteed) as an offseason roster bonus for 2026, but they did not guarantee his $10.9 million base salary that year in case of injury. The deal had Shannon Sharpe calling it “bullsh*t.”
“He wanted to be there because this is bull jive contract. I can’t be mad because that’s his decision. He wanted to play with Joe, play alongside Chase, that’s the team that drafted him and he feels some loyalty. But that contract is bull jive. My agent would never let me sign this contract,” he said on Nightcap.
Things only get worse from here, as Higgins has to earn the rest of his money. He receives a $2 million bonus for every game he plays, meaning if he appears in all 17 games in 2025, he could make up to $35.5 million. However, the Bengals essentially hold a year-to-year option on him.
They can move on after just one season without paying his 2026 base salary—provided they release him before it becomes active on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. If that happens, he won’t see the 2026 roster bonus either, as he’ll likely be playing for another team by then. How does Chad Johnson, known Cincinnati loyalist, feel about all this then?
Johnson was more measured in his criticism of his former team. Although Ocho admitted that contract language can be complicated, he still struggled to understand how Cincinnati shortchanged Higgins. Despite his reservations about how NFL teams handle business, he felt relieved to see Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Higgins staying together for a few more years.
“I’m happy for him regardless of language. The band is back together. I don’t like the business side of things. I don’t like the first time they tagged him because to me it was a slap in the face. That side of things is nasty. I like the band is back together and he got his money.”
The Bengals have long been known as a frugal organization. Entering this season, they were already in a salary cap crunch but still needed to stay competitive. At the same time, they wanted to avoid jeopardizing their future financial flexibility by handing out large guaranteed bonuses. Their decision to structure Higgins’ deal this way suggests they are pushing for a championship run over the next two seasons before potentially entering a rebuild.
Higgins’ injury history also played a role in their approach. Having missed ten games over the past two seasons, he posed a risk they weren’t willing to fully invest in—especially as their WR2. The Bengals seem to believe that even if they move on from Tee after a year, Joe Burrow can still perform at a high level with just one elite receiver.
Tee Higgins would have been better off playing this season on the franchise tag, which would have guaranteed him more money and allowed him to hit free agency next year. Had he done that, he likely could have secured a deal worth $30 million per year with more guaranteed money from a team like the Patriots.
