The Cincinnati Bengals are solely focused on winning the rest of the season, hoping to sneak their way into the play-offs.
However, the reality for a star wide receiver Tee Higgins is that he will be a free agent no matter how the season goes for Cincinnati, leaving the question of whether he will find a home elsewhere or stay put.
That’s a topic that’s been hanging over the Bengals’ heads all season, and it’s something that quarterback Joe Burrow and fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase have both commented on.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, #9, talks with wide receiver Tee Higgins, #5, after a play as the punt team takes the field in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, November 17, 2024. (PROPOSE)
Burrow said he would be “very disappointed” if he saw Higgins play for another team, and Chase reiterated that point before this weekend’s win over the Tennessee Titans.
“Yes, 100%, I feel like he deserves to be here,” Chase told reporters about Higgins. “He wants to be here, but ultimately I have no control over that. I only hope the best for him. I hope he can stay. We will continue with this.”
Chase added that Higgins is a missing piece for this successful attacking trio if he leaves, saying “we’ve built chemistry for so long, chemistry with Joe, so the chemistry is already there.”
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So, how does Higgins feel about hearing his teammates stick up for him with this contract negotiation process looming?
“Man, it means a lot,” Higgins told Fox News Digital while helping hand out bikes to kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati with Raising Cane’s. “It shows that those guys love me, and I’m an asset to this team. I really appreciate them.”
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, #5, jumps into the end zone past Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, #13, during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday, December 15, 2024. (imagine)
Bengals fans clearly understand the impact Higgins is making, and as Chase said, the ability to run it back with the same trio increases the team’s chances of having a better year than 2025.
That feeling increased when Higgins moved from agent David Mulugheta to sign with Rocky Arceneaux – the same agent who represents Chase. Chase is also looking to cash in on a new contract, as he will play up his fifth-year option in 2025.
However, will Cincinnati want to pay both Chase and Higgins, the latter of whom has a market value of $18.3 million, while the former could also potentially be the highest-paid receiver if he signs a new deal?
In just nine games this season – as Higgins battled some injuries – he has 669 yards on 50 catches with six touchdowns.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, No. 5, greets Cincinnati Bengals fans who traveled against the Tennessee Titans’ post game at Nissan Stadium. (Steve Roberts-Imagn images)
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While 2023 is a down year by his standards, the 25-year-old is coming off two 1,000-yard seasons with 30 total touchdowns over five seasons.
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