INDIANAPOLIS — Duke Tobin took questions for 30 minutes at the podium, double that of the typical media availability at the NFL Combine.
Tobin, the Bengals’ de facto general manager as director of player personnel, spent most of that time responding to questions about how he can pay Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati's trio of stars who are all eligible for new contracts. Tobin even joked about how many times he was asked about the topic.
"I’m pretty run out here," he exclaimed. "The dynamic type questions, maybe I’ve lost my dynamic nature. I don’t know."
But the confidence he exuded about the ambitious goal was apparent.
Tobin was not only adamant that the Bengals wanted to sign all three — including making Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history — but he was also bullish about Cincinnati’s ability to do so. After all, the Bengals have $58.1 million in effective salary cap space for 2025, eighth-most in the NFL, according to Over The Cap. They also have on their books just $2.3 million in dead money (cap charges for players who are no longer on the roster), lower than all but four teams. That accentuates their financial flexibility.
"We’re fortunate to be in a position where we can fit them all in," Tobin said Tuesday. "We’ve managed our cap well. We have low dead money. We want a high payroll and low dead money, so the people who are in Cincinnati playing for us can get all the money. That’s what we want. And we’re in a position to re-sign these guys. It’s a good position to be in. It really is. And we’re going to attack it.
"It’s a tall task," he added. "We think we’re up to it."
So, how can Cincinnati make it happen?
It starts with getting a deal done with receiver
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