March Madness Sweet Sixteen! Cincinnati Bengals have become Indefensible... | OTB 3.24.25

Watch Off the Bench Presented by UDF with Chatterbox Sports Monday-Friday 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. LIVE on the Chatterbox Sports YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE to the channel to ensure you never miss a thing. The March Madness weekend of March 21-23, 2025, delivered thrilling action as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament kicked off its first and second rounds. On Friday, top seeds like Auburn, Duke, Florida, and Houston asserted dominance, rolling past opponents, while the ACC struggled, with only Duke advancing past the first round. The Big Ten and SEC shone brightly, combining for half the second-round field, highlighted by Purdue’s surgical win over High Point and Tennessee’s knockout blow to Southern Illinois. Saturday saw upsets, including No. 10 Arkansas stunning No. 2 St. John’s, ending Rick Pitino’s run, while Auburn and Houston secured Sweet 16 spots with strong finishes against Creighton and Gonzaga. Sunday brought more drama: No. 1 Florida edged UConn 77-75, halting the Huskies’ three-peat bid in a gritty battle, and No. 1 Duke crushed Baylor 89-66, fueled by a decisive first-half run. No. 4 Maryland stole the spotlight with a buzzer-beater to upset No. 12 Colorado State, while Arizona, led by Caleb Love’s 29 points, rallied past Oregon 87-83. Kentucky also advanced, topping Illinois 84-75, setting up a Sweet 16 clash with Tennessee. The stage is set for an electrifying next round. In March 2025, the Cincinnati Bengals secured their star wide receivers, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, with lucrative long-term contracts, ensuring quarterback Joe Burrow’s top targets remain in place. Chase signed a four-year, $161 million extension, making him the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback at $40.25 million annually, with $73.9 million fully guaranteed at signing and $112 million total guaranteed. His deal includes a $41.17 million base salary and roster bonuses for 2025, with cash flow structured to deliver $105 million over three years, heavily front-loaded for flexibility. Higgins, previously on a franchise tag, inked a four-year, $115 million contract, averaging $28.75 million per year, the highest for a No. 2 receiver. His deal features $30 million fully guaranteed at signing, including a $20 million roster bonus in 2025, though his $13.8 million 2025 base salary remains unguaranteed, offering the Bengals an out after one year if needed. The Bengals deviated from their traditional signing bonus-heavy structure, opting for significant guarantees to appease Burrow’s public push to retain both players. While this locks in their offensive core through 2029 (Chase) and 2028 (Higgins), critics note the team could have saved millions by acting earlier, as delays inflated costs amid a rising receiver market.