Showing Their Stripes

By Mike Rifkin

The NFL season is right around the corner, and training camp is beginning this week.. The Cincinnati Bengals are seen as one of the biggest threats to the Kansas City Chiefs, not just in the AFC but across the NFL.  In 2023 the Bengals finished with a record of 9-8 and missed the playoffs, but a lot of their issues had to do with injuries. The two seasons prior the Bengals were in among the final four teams standing. 

One of the reasons the Bengals have become a top tier team in the NFL is the dynamic offense they’ve built. Quarterback Joe Burrow (who has a long term deal), Running Back Joe Mixon, Wide Receivers Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Ja’Marr Chase were just so much fun to watch. Now this offseason things are changing in Cincy, Joe Mixon was traded to the Texans, Tyler Boyd signed with the Tennessee Titans, following Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan. That leaves Higgins and Chase, but the question is for how much longer? 

Tee Higgins was given the Franchise Tag this summer, and he and the team couldn’t get a long term deal done. Things got so bad, that Higgins had requested a trade, but later just signed the tender. Then there’s Chase, who has one year (fifth year option) left after this season. But Chase was eligible to sign an extension this offseason. 

Bengals President Mike Brown said on a potential extension : “It’s not so likely that this is a good time to negotiate. The offseason is a better time for that and we’re going to try to keep focused on the football part. I’m not going to rule anything out, but I will tell you that the die has probably been cast.” Chase, the fifth overall pick in 2021 has been sensational since going to Cincy, going over 1,000 yards in each of his three prior seasons. Last season Chase had a career high 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns. 

So if the Bengals are not inclined to give Tee Higgins a long term contract, why are they not making Chase more of a priority? They’ve locked up Joe Burrow, so why not his favorite target? And the Bengals really missed an opportunity here, because they had a chance to lock Chase up before the Vikings locked up Justin Jefferson and the Cowboys lock up Ceedee Lamb. Chase’s production is up among the best in the league and he will deserve every penny, and the longer this goes the more his price will go up and the Bengals will have to pony up, because under no circumstances can they lose both Higgins and Chase and still be considered a Super Bowl threat. But these clouds hang over Cincy as they look to bounce back from 2023.