“Shocked They Kept Tee Higgins”: Dan Orlovsky, Pat McAfee and Other NFL Veterans Spare Their Thoughts on the Bengals Extending Ja’Marr Chase

For months leading up to this offseason, the general expectation was that the Cincinnati Bengals would commit to a long-term deal with Ja’Marr Chase and let Tee Higgins walk—or vice versa. For a franchise long known for its cautious spending, executing two high-money deals in quick succession seemed almost unthinkable. But instead of choosing one, Joe Burrow’s Bengals did the improbable—they extended both wideouts.

Higgins has become one of the highest-paid WR2s in the league with a four-year, $115 million deal, while Ja’Marr Chase is now the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history with a four-year, $161 million megadeal, $112 million of which is guaranteed. These back-to-back moves by the Bengals sent one message loud and clear—they are ‘all-in’ on a Super Bowl run. And the NFL world is taking notice.

Former NFL QB and ESPN Analyst Dan Orlovsky was among the first to react to these landmark moves, and his words summed up the reaction of many—pure disbelief.

From his tweet, it seems Orlovsky initially thought the Bengals were letting Higgins go. He then added that both the wideouts had earned their payday and urged the team to make sound decisions moving forward: “Cincy better become the best front office in the league when it comes to identity, draft, and development.”

Colts icon and ace sportscaster Pat McAfee was equally surprised. However, he quickly turned his focus to the next big question—what’s next for Cincinnati?

Former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III, meanwhile, used the buzz around Ja’Marr Chase’s extension to thank Joe Burrow, who, in Griffin’s eyes, was the catalyst in forcing the Bengals to pay both wide receivers their worth.

For those out of the loop, this is what Burrow had said during his recent appearance on Pardon My Take: “The Eagles are paying everybody… That seems like the way… Whatever they’re doing.”

Talking about NFL player turned podcaster, Will Compton, co-host of Bussin’ with the Boys, tried to douse the Bengals fans’ celebratory tone by pointing out the elephant in the room—Cincinnati’s shaky defense.

Considering the Bengals have already spent 44% of their cap space on their three-member passing attack, Mike Brown & Co. now needs to maintain the rest of the roster. They also need to construct a better O-Line for their star QB, who got sacked 48 times like last season.

As Compton noted, the challenge now is addressing the defense and filling the remaining holes with a very minimal budget. That means the Bengals will have to be creative in their signings and mindful in their contracts—things that should come as second nature to Cincinnati.

Last but not least, ex-Bengals star Chad Johnson was also pleasantly surprised by Ja’Marr Chase’s new deal, candidly admitting that he never thought the team could pull off extensions for both star receivers.

“I didn’t think it would be possible… but the fact that Joe was able to keep his two main targets together is a really big deal,” Johnson said. “That’s a step in the right direction for us in getting back to the Promised Land by the end of the season.”

All said and done, the message from the Cincinnati Bengals’ front office is clear—they are all in this year. But now comes the real challenge: can they build a complete, competitive team after securing a high-powered offense?

For now, though, Bengals fans can sit back and enjoy the ride. They have their franchise quarterback. They have elite weapons around him in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. And they could very well be ruling the competitive AFC North next season.