Bengals Break the Bank for Chase & Higgins – But Can They Stop Anyone?

The Bengals just locked down their offensive firepower for the long haul, giving wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase a record-breaking 4-year, $161 million extension and Tee Higgins a 4-year, $115 million deal. Chase now holds the richest contract ever for a non-QB, while Higgins becomes the highest-paid WR2 in the league.With Joe Burrow also on a massive deal, Cincinnati’s offense is now one of the most expensive in NFL history, but can they afford to play defense?

Bengals’ Defense: A Liability?

Cincinnati’s 2024 defense was a disaster, routinely getting torched by even mediocre offenses. Their secondary struggled, the pass rush was inconsistent, and games often turned into track meets. Even when Burrow put up 30+ points, it wasn’t always enough.New defensive coordinator Al Golden has been brought in to fix things, but with so much money tied up in Burrow, Chase, and Higgins, there aren’t a lot of resources left to overhaul the defense. That could mean the Bengals are in for more 55-45 shootouts in 2025. As for the rest of the offseason, theres till lots of time left to make defensive moves with free agency still going on and the draft in April.

Winning with Firepower:

If the defense doesn’t step up, the Bengals will have to win games with their offense—and they might be just fine doing it. Chase and Higgins form the best WR duo in football, Burrow is still elite, and Cincinnati can outscore almost anyone.

The problem? That kind of football isn’t sustainable in the playoffs. The Bengals are banking on their stars carrying them, but unless the defense finds answers, this team could be in for another year of just missing playoffs. Bengals are currently +1800 to win Super Bowl LX.