Sports analyst critiques Bengals’ decision to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to help Joe Burrow

Wide receiver duo Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase put pen to paper on massive contract extensions with the Cincinnati Bengals this week.

Chase, who earned the triple crown in 2024, agreed to a four-year contract worth $161 million, including a $112 million guarantee. With the contract, which will pay him $40.25 million annually, the four-time Pro Bowler has become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Higgins, who played on the franchise tag last year, has also inked a four-year extension worth $115 million.

While star quarterback Joe Burrow is pleased with the arrangements, since they will allow him to continue throwing passes to Chase and Higgins for many more years, some analysts don't seem to be happy with the setup.

During this week's episode of FS1's First Things First, co-host Nick Wright expressed his disapproval of the Bengals' decision to sign both wide outs to massive contracts. The Bengals are making "a mistake" by concentrating solely on the offensive side of the ball, according to the former presenter of a sports radio talk show.

"This is a team that had these two guys together for almost a half-decade and haven't gotten it done," Wright said. "I just believe the front office is making a mistake.”

In addition, he offered Cincinnati an alternative to keeping the two players together in such circumstance.

"I have felt for two years that the pragmatic, prudent thing to do with the Cincinnati Bengals was to decide on either Chase or Higgins. It was pretty obvious to me Chase, and then get a real draft haul for Higgins," Wright concluded.

If the Bengals want to contend in 2025, they still have a lot of work to do this offseason. However, by many measures, the signings of Chase and Higgins were good choices. The team was bound to face criticism in some quarters regardless of how they handled the contract situation.

Where do Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins rank among the highest-paid wide receivers in the league?

Under their new contracts with the Cincinnati Bengals, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will earn a combined $276 million over the next four years, or an average of $69 million per year.

Prior to the Higgins-Chase extension, the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were the highest-paid wide receiver duo in the NFL. Together, Hill's $30 million annual salary and Waddle's $28.25 million AAV make up $58.25 million in AAV.

With their new contracts, Chase is now the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, surpassing Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings. Higgins, meanwhile, is in ninth place, one spot ahead of Waddle at tenth, and behind Hill at eighth.

Below is a list of the top 10 highest-paid receivers in the NFL (AAV):

1. Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals) - $40.25 million
2. Justin Jefferson (Vikings) - $35 million
3. CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) - $34 million
4. DK Metcalf (Steelers) - $33 million
5. A.J. Brown (Eagles) - $32 million
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions) - $30.0025 million
7. Brandon Aiyuk (49ers) - $30 million
8. Tyreek Hill (Dolphins) - $30 million
9. Tee Higgins (Bengals) - $28.75 million
10. Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins) - $28.25 million