The Cincinnati Bengals’ receiver duo, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are like Springsteen and the E Street Band—electric, iconic, and impossible to ignore. But behind the roaring touchdowns and highlight reels, a contract drama unfolded this offseason that’s more twisty than a Law & Order finale. Higgins, the 6’4” deep-threat maestro, just inked a deal that’s raising eyebrows faster than a Hail Mary in December. The stakes?

A $35.9 million question mark. Meanwhile, Ja’Marr Chase, the human highlight reel, leans back with a grin—his $161 million jackpot already in the bag. The dealer? Bengals owner Mike Brown, a man who once compared NFL contracts… We’ll get to that in some time. Let’s unfold the contract drama for now.

Here’s the scoop: Higgins swapped a $26.16 million franchise tag for a four-year, $115 million deal. But don’t pop the champagne yet. Did you think Brown would let them go with that money without a few key clauses? The Bengals structured it like a high-stakes game of Monopoly. Only $10 million is fully guaranteed (for 2026), and Cincy can bail after 2025 without owing another dime. Translation?

It’s a glorified one-year, $35.9 million trial. If Higgins stays healthy—a big if after missing 10 games since 2023—he cashes in. If not? The Bengals fold their cards. Now, compare that to Ja’Marr Chase’s rock-solid $161 million extension, with $73.9 million guaranteed. Chase’s deal is a Vegas wedding; Higgins’ seems like a prenup…

“The practical guarantee here is the $45.9 million (if he plays in all 17 games this year), with $35.9 million due in 2025, and the $10 million roster bonus for next year subject to offsets (which means the Bengals could get out of the deal after a year with just what they paid in 2025, if someone paid him more than $10 million next),” noted Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer. However, Higgins’ camp insists this isn’t a raw deal.

“I give Tee credit. He’s the reason this got done. He wanted to be here,” said former Bengals star T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Historically, the Bengals treat receivers like heirlooms. From Isaac Curtis’ 1970s rule-breaking speed to Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson’s endzone antics, Cincy’s air game has always dazzled. Higgins and Chase?

Since 2021, they have combined for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns, surpassing even Palmer-to-Johnson/Houshmandzadeh numbers. “If the offensive line and Joe stay healthy, they’ll break Bengals records and NFL records,” Houshmandzadeh joked. “If we don’t make the playoffs, I’ll lose my mind because starting Thursday I’m going to be talking so much (bleep). Dude, it’s really crazy.” Now, Higgins and Chase carry the torch—and the stats back it up:

“They do things I can never do,” Johnson admitted. “I can never high-point the ball like Tee does. They say that’s a 50-50 ball. With Tee Higgins, it’s 80-20.” But let’s rewind.

From “pie” to prosperity: Brown’s u-turn on Higgins

Remember when Mike Brown compared NFL contracts to splitting a pie? “The pie is not going to grow,” he quipped last July, hinting Higgins might get crumbs. Brown sounded like a man rationing gravy at Thanksgiving. “You can’t just pay people willy nilly,” he warned, all but writing Higgins’ Bengals obituary. Fast-forward to 2025…

And Higgins’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, is grinning like he just found an extra pepperoni slice. “I haven’t seen him [Brown] smile like that in a long time,” Arceneaux told Bengals.com. So, what flipped the script?

Blame Joe Burrow, perhaps. The QB’s influence, with his whispered advice to get his own receivers, reportedly encouraged Brown to keep the band together. Besides, Brown’s singing a different tune. “When you see it, you become a believer. At least I have. This is where our future is headed. And I feel good about it,” he declared after locking down both receivers.

In the end, Higgins’s deal is a gamble—a bet on health, loyalty, and legacy. For Brown, it’s a nod to Bengals tradition: draft stars, develop patience, then pay… cautiously. They’re here to rewrite history. Whether that includes a Super Bowl remains to be seen. But as Springsteen once growled, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.”

So, Bengal fans: Is this contract a masterstroke or a ticking time bomb?