The Cincinnati Bengals have to make a very difficult decision this offseason. Will they pay Tee Higgins or let him walk in free agency?
Higgins, a second-round pick by the team in the 2020 draft, ascended into stardom in Cincinnati, tallying over 1,000 yards in 2021 and 2022 and practically serving as a WR1 while technically being the WR2 behind Ja'Marr Chase.
The Bengals offense has been cooking with Higgins and Chase both catching passes from Joe Burrow but the downside to how well they've all played is that now it's time to pay them all. Burrow got his money at the start of the 2023 regular-season and his contract will kick in this year. Chase hasn't been paid yet and neither has Higgins, leading us to where we are now.
Bengals de facto GM Duke Tobin spoke with Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer and said that while he'd love to keep Higgins, it's not entirely up to him.
“It's going to be hard,” Tobin told Conway. “We feel like we have the resources to do it, but it all depends on how the negotiation goes and whether they're willing to accept wanting to come back at a number that makes sense for everybody. And you know what we do with Tee going forward, I've always been very upfront in my desire to have Tee Higgins on our team. I've never not been upfront about that, and that desire continues, but we have to be able to come together with his representation on what that means and what the right number is for his experience, for his play time, for his production.”
Duke Tobin's recent comments about Tee Higgins don't sound promising
Tobin says that while the Bengals "have the resources" to re-sign Higgins, he essentially points the finger at Higgins and his agent, noting that they'll have to "come back at a number that makes sense for everybody", which sounds a lot like signing a hometown discount. To ask a player in the NFL to take a discount when they put their bodies on the line every week seems unfair.
That being said, Bengals fans would love to have Higgins back if that's what he wants to do. There's no doubt that with Chase and Higgins both on offense that this unit is practically unstoppable but now the question is what's more important to Higgins? Does he want to make as much money as he possibly can while he's still in his prime or does he want to stay with Burrow and Chase in Cincinnati?
More Bengals news:
Burrow hasn't been shy about voicing his opinion on the matter, noting multiple times that he wants Higgins to stay with the team. While Burrow is clearly a huge part of the team, he's ultimately not the one paying the players and making these decisions.
Something to keep in mind is that Higgins has battled injuries in recent years, missing a combined 10 games over the past two seasons. Paying him and Chase would also make it difficult for Cincinnati to bring in talented defensive players and no one would argue that the defense is what needs the makeover this offseason.
It'll be interesting to see how all of this shakes out for the Bengals. Will they be able to keep Higgins or will he be calling another city home this year?