The biggest rumors around the Cincinnati Bengals at the scouting combine right now hinge on the contract fates of star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
When it comes to Higgins, a new report hints that the Bengals have made a key decision before the franchise tag deadline.
And on the subject of Chase, the team has already made it clear that they understand he will become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL– Duke Tobin himself said as much.
But for now, it seems, the front office isn’t matching Tobin’s energy, at least not based on a report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
“Chase is expected to reset the non-QB market,” Russini wrote. “An offer has been made by Cincinnati, but the two sides remain far apart in talks for now.”
As a disclaimer, “far apart” could mean anything right now, and this report could be coming from anyone.
That said, the Bengals flopped in not getting Chase’s deal done before the season. The contract drama impacted the season itself after a messy summer and it’s only going to cost them even more money to do it now. Chase apparently felt misled by the whole thing, too, due to guaranteed money and structure issues of what the Bengals were offering.
The Bengals don’t have a ton of time to bridge gaps here, not with the Higgins situation and Trey Hendrickson drama needing addressed before free agency, too.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL combine rumors: Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase contract saga takes a twist
