05-03-2025
Latest Bengals, Tee Higgins contract update is pretty ugly
Latest Bengals, Tee Higgins contract update is pretty ugly
The Cincinnati Bengals aren't having a good time right now.
By most reporting so far, the Bengals continue to have some problems juggling the contract sagas of Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson.
Most notable might be Higgins right now, since it's assumed that Chase will wind up getting his $40 million annually no matter what.
On the Higgins front, The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov revealed on the "Drop the Mic" podcast that the Bengals simply aren't where Higgins wants them on extension talks just yet.
"To this point, they're not at $30 million and the guarantees are not that Joe Burrow pressure is getting to the front office."
Hence, the Bengals putting a second franchise tag on Higgins, extending the deadline for an extension to July 15.
That second tag checks in at $26 million, which has put the Bengals in a brutal spot. Now, the extension number needs to be $30 million or higher annually because Higgins understands that the team won't tag him a third time next year. So now, they have to make an appealing offer or he'll eyeball playing another year on the tag before going to free agency in 2026 -- while also keeping the fully $26 million on the books for 2025.
It's a brutally tough spot for the Bengals to be in, especially when Chase and Hendrickson need deals, too.
