Bengals' $276 million worth of investments listed among best NFL offseason moves

The Cincinnati Bengals were faced with some huge decisions this offseason that could alter their course for years to come, including what to do with their star wide receiver duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Chase was entering the final year of his rookie deal (a fifth-year option that was expected to be for $21.8 million) while Higgins was franchise tagged for the second year in a row (set to be a one-year deal for $26.2 million).

However, the Bengals decided to open their wallets and pay both long-term, locking Chase up on a four-year, $161 million contract and Higgins on a four-year, $115 million deal.

The two extensions were seen as huge wins for Cincinnati. In fact, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport recently picked them as two of the best moves of the offseason.

"When a team has an elite quarterback who makes it clear he wants to keep his band together, you do your best to accommodate him," Davenport wrote. "It wasn’t cheap: Chase is now the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback. But bringing back Chase and Higgins gives Joe Burrow one of the league’s most dangerous one-two punches at WR in the NFL again. Now if they can just figure out a way to re-up edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson."

Chase, 25, has appeared in 62 games over his four seasons sine the Bengals took him in the first round (No. 5 overall) in the 2021 NFL draft. He's caught 395 passes for 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns while making four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He also won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.

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Higgins, 26, was a second-round pick (No. 33 overall) out of Clemson in the 2020 NFL draft. In five seasons, he's appeared in 70 games, catching 330 passes for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns.

The two have been remarkable for Joe Burrow in their time together, and now that they're locked up for the foreseeable future, they should keep the Bengals competing for the AFC North title every year.

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