The common assumption is that the 2024 NFL season will be Tee Higgins' last as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. But, maybe that isn't the case.
Following Cincinnati's 27-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, Joe Burrow dropped some eye-opening information regarding Higgins' future with the franchise and why he feels optimistic that the star receiver could be back with the Bengals.
Joe Burrow confident that the Bengals will bring back Tee Higgins
"Those discussions are ongoing," Burrow said. "I am confident we are going to be able to do what it takes to bring Tee back. 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 are excited about that opportunity."
Wow. That's quite the bomb from Burrow. I guess you could say that he was dropping bombs both on and off the filed on Monday Night.
Up to this point, all indications were that Higgins was poised to sign elsewhere in free agency for financial reasons. When asked where his confidence regarding Cincinnati's ability to retain Higgins' stems from, Burrow simply said, "We'll see."
Allow us to read between the lines for a second, because it certainly sounds like Burrow is potentially hinting at restructuring his own enormous contract in order to *potentially* open up some space for Higgins. What else could he mean when he says, "I'm going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he?"
It sure sounds like he's saying that both he and Higgins could be willing to make some sort of financial sacrifices in order to keep the band together. This is super exciting news for Bengals fans, as it doesn't seem like something Burrow would talk about publicly unless he believed that it was a legitimate possibility.
Keep in mind, star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is also in line for an extension over the offseason, and he has made a case to be the highest-paid receiver in the entire league with how well he's played this season. Chase is currently leading the league in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
When asked about Burrow's comments, Higgins said that it would be "cool" to remain in Cincinnati and that he never ruled out returning as a possibility.
As an organization, the Bengals will have some major decisions to make over the offseason involving personnel and contracts, and at this point nothing is a given. However, Higgins remaining in Cincinnati beyond the current campaign suddenly seems a bit more possible than it had previously.