Ja'Marr Chase calls Tee Higgins 'the best wing man I've had' ahead of potential Bengals departure in free agency

• Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have spent their early careers playing side-by-side in Cincinnati.
• The Bengals wide receivers praised each other before a crucial free agency that could split them up.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins' days of lining up side-by-side may be behind them.

The fearsome Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers could find themselves on separate teams come next season, as Higgins is set to hit free agency while Chase awaits a massive contract extension to stay put in Cincy. But as far as many of the Bengals' key contributors are concerned, Higgins is crucial to the team's heart and soul — and not someone they'd take kindly to losing.

In a press conference on Monday, star quarterback Joe Burrow said "we all want Tee back" because "he's what being a Bengal is all about." Head coach Zac Taylor added that "it's hard to imagine life without Tee Higgins" in black and orange.

And now, Chase is joining the chorus of praise for Higgins.

"He's really the best wing man I've had," Chase told Business Insider while discussing their joint partnership with Bounty.

Higgins has made it clear that he'd rather return to Cincinnati than hit the open market this spring. He told Business Insider that having a quarterback like Burrow, who "makes things easier for us," is a huge draw.

Of course, the 6-foot-4 Clemson product also enjoys playing alongside Chase. The star-studded receiving pair necessarily splits the attention of opposing defenses, leaving both wideouts with a bit more space to operate on any given snap than they might otherwise have.

"I never played with an impactful player like he is," Higgins told Business Insider. "It's my first time. Just seeing what he does on the field is unbelievable and sometimes it's just like, man."

Chase has plenty of incentive to continue playing alongside Higgins, too. But after the Bengals' final game of the season, the three-time Pro Bowler stopped short of committing to signing a reduced contract extension in order to make room for the team to pay Higgins as well.

Still, Higgins has no doubt about his wingman's loyalty.

"He got my back just like I got his," Higgins told Business Insider.