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Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Confirmed Huge Contract Extensions With Identical Emoji

Tim Capurso

Chase and Higgins celebrate on the field.
Chase and Higgins celebrate on the field. / The Enquirer/Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly agreed to lucrative contract extensions with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins late Sunday night. Just minutes after news of the pacts was announced, Chase and Higgins found a creative way to confirm the report of the contract agreements.

The two Bengals receivers took to their respective accounts on X and both posted the same tweet: one handshake emoji.

Just two minutes after Higgins's post, Chase followed suit.

Just as they were in their endeavors for new contracts, Chase and Higgins were in lockstep in reacting to the news afterwards. Chase, whose desire for a new contract dates back to this past summer when he sat out training camp in the lead-up to the 2024 season, now becomes the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history with an average annual salary just above $40 million per year. That surpasses the mark set earlier in March by Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.

Meanwhile, Higgins, who was franchise tagged for the second consecutive season, had expressed his displeasure with the Bengals' decision. Cincinnati reportedly intended to reach agreement on a long-term deal with Higgins before the July 15 deadline, at which point he would play out the '25 season on the tag. The Bengals did just that, and have now ensured that quarterback Joe Burrow's two top targets are under contract for the next few seasons (Chase until 2029 and Higgins until 2028).

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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