CINCINNATI — It’s been a promising three days in the offseason drama surrounding the big three stars awaiting contract extensions.
Multiple outlets are reporting significant progress has been made regarding extending Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson.
How strong is the optimism?
There’s reason to believe the deals could be coming in a matter of days.
It began on Friday when Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that “significant progress” had been made on extensions for Chase and Higgins. Numerous outlets confirmed that progress on deals for the two star receivers.
Progress would suggest that the deal for Chase is approaching the $160 million range over four years, with guaranteed money in the range between $110 and $120 million. Director of player personnel Duke Tobin first suggested at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that the Bengals were already “there” in terms of making Chase the “highest paid non-quarterback” in the league.
For Higgins, progress would mean a deal approaching $30-32 million annually over three years with guaranteed money north of $75 million.
The biggest development in all of this is the news that the Bengals are working toward finishing the two deals. History suggests that once the Bengals are engaged in negotiations, their objective is to finish the process.
As for Trey Hendrickson, Mike Garafolo reported that the Bengals have moved forward on a potential deal with their star edge rusher after teams indicated they would pay the money Hendrickson was looking for but not the price the Bengals were looking for in a trade. “Trey Hendrickson wants to be in Cincinnati and Cincinnati wants to make it work,” Garafolo said.
The Bengals apparently are taking that as a cue for a baseline in negotiating an extension for the 30-year-old Hendrickson. Hendrickson is believed to be asking for at least $30 million annually for two to three years, which is certainly doable given the Bengals cap space. But the bigger number to figure out is the guaranteed cash the 2024 NFL sack leader is seeking. Maxx Crosby received a three-year, $106.5 million extension from the Raiders, with $91 million guaranteed for the 27-year-old. Myles Garrett received $122.8 million guaranteed in his four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns.
All of this is good news for Bengals fans wanting to see three key pieces back in Stripes beyond 2025.
One player that will be returning in 2025 on a one-year deal is defensive edge Joseph Ossai. He’s only 24 and received a one-year contract worth $7 million through David Mulugheta and Athletes First.
The 2021 third-round pick out of Texas still has great potential but has had trouble staying on the field with knee and wrist injuries that hampered his rookie and 2023 seasons. But Ossai has shown flashes of a high motor that the Bengals value, especially losing Sam Hubbard to retirement and the uncertainty of Hendrickson’s future in Cincinnati.
Ossai and the Bengals decided to give each other one more year to figure things out.
“A lot of things went into account,” Ossai said. “But it’s a great organization and I believe in us, that’s the most important part. I believe in us. I believe in what we have going. I believe in the players we have, even the pieces we brought in. I believe in them, the new coaches. And if we’re going to do it one year, why not?”
Ossai doesn’t necessarily buy into the one-year “prove it” characterization that many describe deals like Ossai.
“That’s a loaded question for me, because regardless of the contract I’m going to do, what I’m going to do this year,” Ossai said. “It didn’t matter if it was a three-year or four-year or two-year or a half-year contract for me, the way I thought about it is, ‘I’m healthy. I know what I know.’ I’ve had my experiences, and I have God with me.
“So I’m going to do what I’m going to do. So whether it’s a prove-it year, whether it’s a five-year contract, this year is going to be what this year is going to be. So I’m not really stressed about having to prove it. So just really focused on coming out here in attacking and, like I said, having this defense be a staple like it’s been in the past, in the past years, like in the year we went to the Super Bowl, and the year before, it was a great defense, and just getting back to that standard.”
It’s clear to Ossai that the Bengals still believe in his potential as well.
“Just a vision they had for me. I was here early in the year after the season ended. I was working out here for about a month and a half, and they would have constant talks with me, and they would talk about what they saw me doing in their defense. They talked about how I played and how they liked that, how they wanted to work around that, and I liked what I heard. So, you know, it made sense earlier in the week that recent equally said there’s great potential for his defense going forward.”
Ossai had the best statistical year of his career, playing in all 17 games, with 46 tackles and five sacks. Ossai had at least a half-sack in six of his final seven games last season and was getting better and better as the season drew to a close. The same could be said of the defensive unit as a whole.
The problem with that, of course, is that it shouldn’t have taken 10 games to find a groove.
“It’s sad to say, but guys finally bought in, and believed in themselves,” Ossai told me. “You would hope that we would have done that the start of the season, and who knows where we would be at the end of the season. But, you know, I feel like guys finally bought in. They played fast. They believed in themselves, and they you could see in every play that people wanted to win, especially on the defensive side, trying to help the offense do what they do.”
Ossai would certainly like to see Trey Hendrickson not only return in 2025 but stay for the long haul.
“If we can keep a special guy, we have, we have the same pieces, and sky’s the limit,” Ossai said. “I’m praying selfishly. Selfishly, I’m praying they keep that special guy because he’s a great guy, he’s a great mentor. He’s a great friend, he’s a phenomenal player, and I know he’s wanting to do what’s best for him and his family, and the Bengals are trying to help him, and also do what’s best for them.
“Hopefully it works out. God moves in mysterious ways. And hopefully it works out, man. He’s done so much for me. He’s helped me. The biggest thing I would say is he helped me get over that mental hump from year three to year four. My first three years, there were a lot of injuries, and even though I was healthy, there’s that mental battle of trying to protect myself, my body trying to mentally protect myself and not get in a situation where I’m hurt again or starting the season behind and stuff like that. That third season, all season we both worked out together and trained up here. He helped me find that focus and get over that mental health, and the biggest injury with the wrist. So yeah, he’s helped.”
Hendrickson drilled into Ossai the need to take extra special care of his body in the offseason.
“I would say last year I was more detailed in when it came to taking care of my body, in a sense of, in the previous years,” Ossai said. “I would spend time taking care of my body, but I wasn’t detailed. I would get here early to be in a training room or workout, but I wasn’t detailed, as opposed to last year, I would get here early and like, Okay, we got an epsom salt bath. We got to do this. Just being more detailed in that, and prioritizing my body and and in certain ways, like after games and stuff, like choosing to prioritize my health and stuff like that, I would say that’s the biggest thing, and then why I was able to stay healthy.”
Could Ossai have that same impact on a talent like Myles Murphy, who is also trying to unlock his great potential?
“I can I, he hasn’t looked up to me for mentorship, but I will take it upon myself to bring every person along along the way,” Ossai answered when I asked. “Myles has all the tools, all the tangibles. I do think when he does figure it out, he’s going to be a phenomenal player, for sure.”
