Tee Higgins ‘would love to come back’ to Cincinnati Bengals

Tee Higgins isn’t with his Bengals teammates. Those guys are in the midst of OTAs, while the Cincinnati receiver is going through a contract dispute.

But if Higgins had his preference, he’d stick around in Cincy, keep catching passes from Joe Burrow while serving as the perfect half of a tandem with Ja’Marr Chase. Instead, he’s objecting to the franchise tag that the Bengals placed on him back in March. He’s since requested a trade if Cincinnati won’t up the money.

Higgins recently shared his thoughts during an interview with the I Am Athlete podcast.

“As far as coming back, I would love to come back,” Higgins said. “I grew as a man in the past four years here. Grew as a player, made — got good new friendships. Great relationships with people not in the facility, in the City of Cincinnati, the fans are great. So I would definitely love to be here. But if that’s not the situation, then that’s not the situation.”

Higgins spent the past four seasons in Cincinnati after the Bengals selected him with the 33rd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. He missed the first round by one spot. And since then, he’s helped Cincy become a dominant offense, catching 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Bengals made the Super Bowl after the 2021 season, then reached the AFC title game in 2022.

The receiver could’ve become a free agent in March. However, the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him. Here’s what that means. Cincinnati offered a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract worth $21.8 million. That’s not the $30 million that is the current benchmark for elite NFL receivers. However, it is the average of the top five highest-paid receivers based on figures from February.

Now, sides have until July 15 to agree to a long-term contract. If that doesn’t happen, Higgins can receive the one-year guaranteed salary, then become a free agent next season. Or, the Bengals could trade him to a team that needs a quality wideout.

Obviously, he’d like to stay. He called the idea of a trade “bittersweet.” And he added “I would definitely love to be here, but if that’s not the situation, then that’s not the situation.”

The Bengals likely will need to pay Chase as well. A month ago, the team agreed to pick up his fifth-year option on his rookie contract. So he will make at least $21.86 million in 2025. But with all the money being tossed to receivers, $21.86 million likely won’t cut it. The market seems to be reset each week with new deals being announced.

Tyreek Hill of the Dolphins was the first to cross the $30 million mark. He got that money when Miami signed him two years ago. Then this off-season, A.J. Brown (Eagles) landed a $32 million/year deal, while Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions) got $30 million. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Brandon Auyik (49ers) are demanding a big deal.

It could be an expensive off-season for the NFL teams with dynamic receivers.