Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) shows his 7/11 chain after a catch in the second quarter during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

'It's Just A Number' - Ja'Marr Chase Discusses Meaning of Historic Bengals Contract

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Mar 18, 2025 6:02 PM ET

Ja'Marr Chase is at the top of his position mountaintop financially, but that isn't swaying his focus amidst one of the best NFL career openings in league history.

The star receiver broke down his feelings on a four-year, $141 million deal to stay in Cincinnati through the 2029 season. Tee Higgins joined him to celebrate a new deal he signed.

"It's just a number," Chase said about topping all other non-quarterbacks in the NFL by average annual value. "It's just numbers to get the job done. Like me having yards in a game, getting those yards gets the job done."

He's posted the third-most receiving yards in the NFL since entering the league in 2021 and showed why he should eclipse Myles Garrett's deal worth $40 million per season. Only a few quarterbacks are getting paid more than Chase this coming season.

"I think Myles really just helped me. Because, you know, I'm not a greedy person, and I'm not selfish. I'm not going to overdo nothing. And throughout this whole situation I was talking to (agent) Rocky [Arcenaux] and making sure, like, we get something on Tee's (contract) done, like are we close to Tee's before mine, I'm trying to make sure me and Tee still around the same. Before I could sign first. You know, to make sure we at least together."

Higgins and Chase have forged a key bond and it's helped them keep their priorities straight as star players, cementing as players any team in the league would want to reward.