With Ja’Marr Chase‘s run of monster games bolstering his case to surpass Justin Jefferson as the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, the prospect the Bengals separate their long-running wide receiver tandem increases. Higgins has long been expected to leave Cincinnati in 2025, be it in free agency or potentially via a tag-and-trade transaction.
The Bengals have Joe Burrow signed to the second-most lucrative quarterback deal, and Chase is playing his way toward a contract that will likely eclipse Jefferson’s $35MM-per-year pact. The Bengals have not seriously negotiated with Higgins since the first half of 2023, and in becoming the only team to tag a player this year and not extend him, the team cannot reenter talks with its No. 2 wideout until season’s end.
Signs point Higgins out of town, but Burrow said he will make a strong effort to see that his most experienced receiver stays. This could set up an interesting showdown, as the star quarterback obviously could wield significant influence in this matter and others involving personnel if he so chose.
“Those discussions are ongoing,” Burrow said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) of a post-2024 future with Higgins. “I’m confident that I think we’re going to do what it takes to bring Tee back. I know that I’m going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he. We’ve had those talks. Those are going to be offseason discussions. But I think we’re excited about that opportunity.”
NFL rules prohibit Bengals brass from negotiating with Higgins, but Burrow can certainly lobby his five-year teammate to stay. That will be difficult to pull off, however. The Bengals’ Chase-over-Higgins preference in terms of extension priority has long been known, with the former’s All-Pro-level season only reinforcing that stance. Higgins, 25, also will not be likely to accept a hometown discount. The Bengals kept him out of free agency this year via the franchise tag, and if the team passes on a 2025 tag (as the early rumors indicated it would), the bet will be Higgins defects not long after the legal tampering period begins.
Higgins did say he will factor in his relationship with Burrow and the Bengals, but the team made him a lowball offer in 2023 — a deal not believed to be close to $20MM on average. It will take more than $20MM per year for a team to land the former second-round pick in free agency.
“Like y’all said, this could be my last season [with the Bengals], so I definitely appreciated it, for sure,” Higgins said of playing another nationally televised game with Burrow and Co. “I love those guys to death. … The relationships are more important. Financially, that’s going to come.”
Higgins’ 58.9 yards-per-game number is in line with what he averaged during his most recent 1,000-yard season (2022), when he posted 59.6 per contest. But injury trouble took him off the field for five games, keeping his yardage total at 581 through 13 games. Higgins will also follow Packers wideout Christian Watson‘s lead in going through a study to determine the cause of his recent soft-tissue injury trouble, Baby adds. Higgins trudged through hamstring issues as a rookie and then missed time in 2023 and ’24. Higgins suffered hamstring and quadriceps injuries during separate practices this season, sidelining him for five games in total.
A strong finish will drive up the Clemson alum’s market. Higgins stands to be the top WR free agent prize, should the Bengals pass on a second tag that would come in at $26.2MM. His current $21.8MM number proved more palatable for the Bengals due to Burrow’s extension not yet producing big cap numbers. In 2025, however, Burrow’s cap hit will swell to $46.3MM.
The Bengals are not a restructure-happy team, but Burrow pushing them could at least keep the door open to a restructure — pushing more money into future years — to create more cap space for a second Higgins tag. That might not go over too well with Higgins, who would then see the team take two free agency years away, but it would be a way for Cincinnati to retain its WR2 for a bit longer.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Burrow plays, and how receptive the organization is to its quarterback’s wishes. Defensive changes are likely coming to help maximize Burrow’s skills, after Cincy’s defense restricted this year’s team. How the club navigates the Higgins matter will also be a key issue, as it could impact Burrow’s satisfaction with management.
I’m not sure Joe knows how the Salary cap works.
They have $62 million in cap space next year and could push it over 70 with a post June 1st release of Sheldon Rankins. But I doubt ownership would go for competitive contracts for both Chase and Higgins, which is a different issue.
They need like an entire defense
And Joe needs a better home security system
Also Hubbard can be cut for a sizable amount of cap space and restructuring of contracts could make it feasible albeit with a weak defense again
If not commanders chargers and bills should have his number.
Patriots might make the most sense, given the need and huge amount of cap space. I doubt the Bills go for Higgins right after drafting Coleman.
Idk patriots are allergic to WR weapons for some reason
It’s been known for months that the Bengals and Higgins were on the road to a divorce so why is Burrow only now pretending to be a cavalry soldier riding to the rescue?
If Joe wanted him to stay he should’ve taken less so the team could afford to keep him. This is an nba player type of stupid quote, they complain when their teams can’t compete but none of them ever sign for less than the max when signing extensions.
They have tons of cap space next year and an ownership group that doesn’t like to give out competitively structured contracts. This ain’t Burrow’s fault.
The Bengals haven’t been hesitant to pay their talent. They don’t, however, offer contracts that’ll create dead cap space on the backend.
I’m not sure I’ll call BS back-loaded deals “competitively structured,” though. The only “winner” in those contracts is the agent, who can puff his chest about how big that fake number looks in a headline.
I’m not talking about fake numbers, I’m talking about guarantees through multiple years, and no team in football has been more reluctant about that than the Bengals. And with only a couple of exceptions, it’s kept them from being major players in free agency while also costing them some top homegrown talent. Dead cap money isn’t in and of itself a bad thing. The Eagles have done just fine making it part of their cap planning.
Because it’s worked out so well so far (eye roll)
for the sake of the fans joe should lobby the bengals to draft a better qb
The guy who’s been a top three quarterback in football this year? Burrow would be an MVP contender if their defense weren’t so obscenely bad.
Leading the nfl in total yards, touchdown passes and yards per game. You’re either trolling or uninformed.
If this isn’t a troll quote it is prolly the dumbest quote I’ve ever seen on here and that’s saying a lot
dumbass lmao
Are there rules against Burrow restructuring his own contract to give Cincy more financial flexibility to sign Higgins?
Isn’t that what Mahomes did?
Should have signed and traded him last off season.
I’m sure Burrow and Higgins are buddy buddy but you can’t argue dishing out top 10 top 15 money to guy a guy who’s not posting 1,000 yard seasons especially when
1. You need an entire new oline it seems
2. You need an entire new defense it seems
3. You already paid the franchise QB
4. You already have a guy who can step up in Andrei Isovias. Plus you draft a new weapon on a cheap contract or sign a cheaper veteran who’d love to come to the pass happy attack.
So many cheaper options out there and so many more glaring needs on the team than paying Higgins. Bengals gonna waste Burrows prime paying the wrong ppl.
They don’t need an entire new oline. Mims and Brown are solid.
Yoshi is average at best. Not a fan of him.
Let Higgins walk – he can’t stay on the field. Sign Chase and draft all defense.
Take a look around the league. All of the top teams have excellent to elite offensive lines. Meanwhile, the three teams with arguably the best group of receivers, Chicago, Houston, & Cincinnati are all trash.
Tee Higgins, who’s going to get paid $30m+ on the open market, shouldn’t be a priority for the Bengals.
You don’t sign and trade guys, for sure you don’t with guys who will command a lot of gurenteed money.
If he needs to #1 wideouts to be successful than maybe he isn’t as good as people think he is.
He should lobby the Bengals to go hard on O-Line and Defense.
Zac Taylor: “Hey Joe, don’t forget to lobby for me when we get eliminated from the playoffs and my job security vanishes”.