The Bengals’ executive Vice President, Katie Blackburn, has emphasized the need for a patient approach regarding contract renewals for star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Bengals EVP Katie Blackburn stresses patience with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins dealshttps://t.co/Mrvy1niINp pic.twitter.com/CpEPLwpgRa
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 28, 2024
As Higgins has been franchise-tagged for 2024, attention now shifts to Chase, who is currently in his 4th year with the Bengals.
Chase’s contract renewal is a priority for the Bengals’ management even though they hold the option to extend his services through 2025.
“We haven’t started,” Bengals EVP Katie Blackburn recently said of negotiations with Chase, “I can’t say for sure where any of it will go,” “But we certainly are going to study up on it and see what we can figure out to try to get the best result we can for the club one way or another.”said Blackburn.
Both players are vying for long-term contracts with the Cincinnati-based club. Higgins,
who joined the Bengals in 2020, a year prior to Chase, recently got the franchise tag, implying the team’s long-term intentions with him.
The duo has been instrumental in the Bengals’ offense alongside quarterback Joe Burrow. Chase is even ranked sixth in yards per game (82.6) since the start of the 2020 season.
In a recent meeting, Blackburn expressed the club’s profound respect and value for both players, asserting intentions to continue building around them and quarterback Joe Burrow.
“We like these guys,” Blackburn said, “We have to work within the salary cap. So we have to figure out what that will mean, and how it can all stay together. That’s just what we have to work on and see where it takes us.”
Chase and Higgins aren’t the only top performers being eyed for extensions.
Other notable names include Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk, and Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb who also have made significant strides since 2020.
