Bengals News: Tee Higgins extension numbers, DeAndre Hopkins, and more

In Bengals news, the team appears dedicated to inking Tee Higgins to an extension. Also, does Joe Burrow make DeAndre Hopkins' list of quarterbacks he'd like to play with?

Aside from extending Burrow, which we know is going to happen at some point, the Cincinnati Bengals have made it clear that they want to keep Higgins around. Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter that the Bengals not only want to keep both Burrow and Higgins but that they'd like to keep Logan Wilson in the stripes as well.

Burrow is obviously going to be costly but how much could Higgins receive? Brad Spielberger of PFF crunched the numbers and came up with a four-year deal worth $97 million as a potential deal for the former second-round pick.

Speaking of wide receivers, DeAndre Hopkins doesn't seem too happy in Arizona or with his quarterback missing a large chunk of the 2023 season. He mentioned some quarterbacks he'd like to play with and Burrow didn't make the cut.

Check out what's trending in Bengals news.

Projecting early extension candidates from the 2020 NFL Draft: Tee Higgins, Jonathan Taylor, Gabriel Davis and more [Brad Spielberger and Timo Riske, PFF]

"The situation is complicated for a myriad of reasons, namely that Higgins is not the best wide receiver on his own team, but also how to balance his production between Ja’Marr Chase presence and the benefit of playing with Joe Burrow. Higgins would undoubtedly be the No. 1 wide receiver on many NFL rosters and would probably have more production from a volume standpoint just by sheer target share but has been remarkably efficient as a No. 2 option in Cincinnati."

- PFF

Some might question the Bengals' decision to extend not one, but two receivers to huge contracts. While I get that Higgins is a talented receiver, investing a lot of money into just three players could prevent this team from adding impact players on the defensive side of the ball moving forward. It'll be interesting to see how all of this plays out.

DeAndre Hopkins landing spots: Bills, Cowboys among best fits as Cardinals WR reveals wish list, preferred QBs [Garrett Podell, CBS Sports]

""One of my favorite quarterbacks I've been watching since he came in the league is [Buffalo Bills QB] Josh Allen," Hopkins said. "He reminds me of a new-school Andrew Luck. I love Josh Allen. [Philadelphia Eagles QB] Jalen Hurts, he's a Houston kid, and he's a dog. [Kansas City Chiefs QB] Patrick Mahomes is another one I would love to throw me the ball. I [also] got to go with the underdog, not as many people respect him as a throwing quarterback, but [Baltimore Ravens QB] Lamar [Jackson]. ... I'm going to [also] have to go with my dude with the Chargers [Justin Herbert].""

- From Podell's article

Hopkins hasn't been traded yet despite the rumors popping up all offseason that he might be. Kyler Murray will miss a lot of the 2023 season due to an ACL injury he sustained late in the 2022 season and that means it's Colt McCoy time in the desert.

Burrow was not listed here, which seems odd considering he's one of the best signal-callers in the league. Maybe Hopkins sees the receiver situation in the Queen City and knows he wouldn't be the top dog in that offense but my oh my could you imagine this offense with him in it?

AFC North projected starters for 2023 NFL season: Lamar flanked by playmakers; Bengals' time is NOW [Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com]

No surprises here. The Bengals starting roster isn't difficult to figure out since they have so many returning players.