Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase will put the Cincinnati Bengals in quite the predicament in the coming weeks — the team is figuring out whether they can afford to keep both playmakers.
Higgins will hit free agency on March 12, and the Bengals front office must either lock him into a long-term deal, franchise tag him a second straight year, or risk losing him for nothing.
Duke Tobin Addresses Difficulty in Securing Tee Higgins’ Services
Bengals director of personnel Duke Tobin has been blunt about the challenges ahead. “It’s going to be hard,” Tobin admitted. “We feel like we have the resources to do it, but it all depends on how the negotiation goes. 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. Let’s find something that works for everybody because he is a guy that we want to have here,” Tobin added.
On Higgins coming back: “It's going to be hard. 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… https://t.co/KZc7Su4wUX
— 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters) January 30, 2025
With Chase set to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Higgins’ future in Cincinnati looks bleak. The 26-year-old racked up 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 despite missing time due to injury. Higgins could command around $30 million per year in today’s market — far more than the franchise seems willing to offer.
The franchise tag remains an option, which would keep Higgins in Cincinnati for one more season at roughly $21.8 million. However, it would be a temporary fix, and the Cincinnati-based franchise will be at the same place again next year.
The Bengals front office needs to find a long-term fix for this financial puzzle. Quarterback Joe Burrow, who has been vocal about keeping his star receivers, didn’t hide his frustration with the business side of football. “Whenever a great player leaves, you wish you could have found a way to keep him,” Burrow said last month. “You don’t want to make a living out of letting great players leave the building.”
While Tobin has maintained his desire to retain Higgins, he also acknowledged the team must balance the numbers. “We have other guys who are trying to take big bites of the apple in other areas,” he said, referring to Chase’s upcoming mega-deal. Team management has its work cut out, given that they don’t want to lose Higgins while simultaneously addressing other positions and managing cap space.
MORE: Bengals Projected To Pick 24-TD Stud WR in First Round of NFL Draft as Tee Higgins Hits Free Agency
The Bengals are in a tough spot — one that could lead to Higgins wearing a different jersey next season. A franchise tag-and-trade scenario seems increasingly likely if Cincinnati fails to strike a deal with the WR. Either way, Bengals fans may have to brace for the reality that their elite receiving duo could soon be split apart.