Joe Burrow turned heads in Cincinnati with his comments regarding Tee Higgins following the Bengals' 27-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. Though most assume that Higgins will sign elsewhere in free agency over the offseason, Burrow expressed confidence in Cincinnati's ability to retain Higgins, and he obviously isn't alone in his desire to keep the star receiver in Cincinnati.
Zac Taylor had high praise for Tee Higgins on the heels of Burrow's intriguing comments
Bengals coach Zac Taylor was asked about Burrow's comments during a media session on Wednesday, and he made it clear just how important Higgins has been to Cincinnati's success on the offensive side of the ball.
“Joe likes playing with great players," Taylor said. "Tee is a great player and Tee has meant a lot to all of us. Tee works the right way, he’s what we’re about and so it’s no surprise to hear him talk like that.”
This is far from the first time that Taylor has publicly praised Higgins, as he made some similar comments prior to the start of the current campaign. If it were up to Taylor, it sure sounds like he would opt to keep the star receiver in Cincinnati long-term, and understandably so. Coaches like to have as many elite playmakers on the field as possible, and Higgins certainly falls into that category.
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Even when he isn't putting up huge numbers, Higgins' sheer presence out on the field helps to open things up for fellow star receiver Ja'Marr Chase and the rest of the offense. For instance, Higgins had just two receptions for 23 yards against Dallas, but the defense had to pay attention to him, and that helped Chase to put up some monster stats: 14 receptions, 177 yards and two touchdowns.
After the game, Chase had this to say about Higgins: “I wish I could sign Tee myself and have them with me for eternity, but some things don’t work that way.”
So, the clear consensus in Cincinnati's locker room is that they would love to have Higgins back beyond the current campaign. Ultimately though, it won't be up to anyone in the locker room. It will be up to the front office; a front office that has been notoriously miserly and hesitant to pay their own players a fair market value.
Will that change with Higgins? Time will tell. Higgins' value obviously isn't lost on the people he shares the locker room with. Perhaps it won't be lost on the people who make the personnel decisions, either.