The Cincinnati Bengals came under some fire for how they handled contract extensions for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. To keep it short, the argument is that the Bengals didn't follow most other NFL teams by permitting the massive extensions to lower the cap hits for both players in 2025.

After years of grinding in the shadows of stardom, Bengals wideout Tee Higgins secures a life-changing contract — and dedicates it to the woman who inspired it all: his mom.

The Bengals applied a second consecutive franchise tag on Higgins at a roughly $26 million salary cap hit to extend the negotiating window on an extension to mid-July while preventing him from reaching free agency. Reporting quickly after that suggested the Bengals' structure and guarantees were a point blocking an extension.