Joe Burrow has closed his contract. Franchise tagging for Tee Higgins ends in 2024. I mean, Ja’Marr Chase ought to be the next person on the list, right?
That’s the Bengals’ ideal approach, but there’s not much of a reason to rush things. As Chase approaches the fourth year of his rookie deal, the Bengals still have the opportunity to exercise his fifth-year option this spring, which would keep him in Cincinnati until 2025.
The Bengals would also rather watch a few other market forces unfold from the sidelines, at least for the time being.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn recently stated, “We haven’t started,” about talks with Chase. “Putting some of those things together to think about and give it some attention is sort of the next step. As previously stated, I am unable to predict where any of it will end up. However, we’re going to research it and see what we can learn in order to try and find a solution that would work best for the club.”
Naturally, keeping Chase at a salary that doesn’t totally break Cincinnati’s bank or salary cap is the ideal outcome for the team. But Blackburn’s part about researching the topic is a sideways hint at another contract that the football community is eagerly awaiting: Justin Jefferson’s upcoming agreement with the Minnesota Vikings.
The narrative has persisted in the news cycle for several weeks, if not months. Undoubtedly, Chase’s former LSU teammate deserves compensation, and it appears that the Vikings want to provide it shortly—ideally, prior to September, when Jefferson’s fifth-year option season kicks off.
Until then, though, the Bengals are essentially stuck with no choice but to wait for Jefferson’s extension to reset the market—especially since they will have to try to extend not just Chase but also Higgins in the next 11 months.
“These individuals are appealing to us. Blackburn stated, “We have to work within the salary cap.” Therefore, we need to determine what it entails and how to keep everything together. We simply need to focus on that and see where it leads.”
People are eager for news because it is the end of March. Fans of the Bengals are fervently hoping that the team’s youthful talent won’t depart for better opportunities elsewhere. However, these bargains will not happen quickly, so prepare yourself to wait.