The market for NFL wide receivers continues to elevate with each passing offseason. Recenty, the contract extensions of Bengals wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins present the Detroit Lions a significant dilemma.
Chase, one of the league's top wideouts, secured a four-year, $161 million extension, while Higgins secured a four-year extension totalling $115 million.
Detroit features a young, speedy wideout in Jameson Williams, who is now eligible to have his fifth-year option picked up by the organization that selected him in the first-round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Is Williams worth $28.75 million annually, the amount the Bengals are paying Higgins? If the team decides to wait, the market could reach north of $45 million annually pretty quickly.
"I think everybody was confident we'd get Ja'Marr done," Burrow said, via the Bengals team website. "But to be able to get Tee done along with that speaks volumes about ownership, Duke Tobin, Zac Taylor and their ability to get those things done."
Detroit's front office has showcased they are willing to sign their own players. But next year, Brian Branch, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell will be eligible for extensions.
General manager Brad Holmes can deploy a similar strategy with Williams the Bengals did with Higgins, placing the franchise tag on the speedy wideout for the 2027 season.
But each passing year the former Alabama Crimson Tide wideout does not secure a long-term extension, the price tag is likely going to skyrocket. Chase is now earning slightly north of $40 million annually.
"We're paying the right guys. Guys who work really hard for what they have. Guys who aren't going to get complacent or anything like that," Burrow explained about his top wideouts earning lucrative extensions. "Guys who really care about the product they put on the field, and care about the fans and the organization and the people in the locker room. We've got the right guys."
Detroit previously signed Amon-Ra St. Brown to a four-year, $120 million extension.
Is there room for another wideout on the roster breaking the bank? Holmes and Co. are now facing decisions on who to prioritize the next couple of NFL offseasons.
