Bengals WR Tee Higgins voted most underrated player by peers
2023 hasn't been the best year for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, but respect for him from his peers has not diminished. In The Athletic's annual anonymous NFL player poll, 76 players voted for the league's most underrated player. Higgins received more votes than anyone else, landing 5.4% of the responses.On a list that […]
2023 hasn't been the best year for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, but respect for him from his peers has not diminished.
In The Athletic's annual anonymous NFL player poll, 76 players voted for the league's most underrated player. Higgins received more votes than anyone else, landing 5.4% of the responses.
On a list that includes Mark Andrews, Maxx Crosby, and Mike Evans, tallying more votes than everyone else is high praise, no matter how many total votes were casted.
Higgins has been instrumental in the Bengals' success over the past two seasons, but he's often in the shadow of the quarterback-receiver duo of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins' star teammates each have at least one Pro Bowl nod while he's still searching for his first.
Being the No. 2 receiver on a team that's been to a Super Bowl and AFC Championship game in back-to-back seasons has put Higgins in the limelight, but not quite in the conversation for the best at his position. Clearly, there are some who feel that isn't fair.
This past offseason, Higgins' representation attempted to negotiate a contract that would've put him amongst the highest-paid receivers, but an agreement with the Bengals couldn't be reached in time before the season began. Higgins producing back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons on a rookie contract and not getting paid yet may've only fueled the idea of him being underrated to his peers.
Unfortunately for Higgins, a third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign doesn't seem to be in the cards. He's missed three full games this year with two separate injuries, and started the year with very underwhelming outings. Just when he began playing up to his standard, he suffered a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the last two games. The Bengals are 0-2 in those contests.
Despite the lack of a new contract, the Bengals value Higgins highly. They strongly dismissed the idea of trading him during the offseason and leading up to this year's trade deadline. The question of how much they value him will soon be answered in the coming months.
Higgins is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, though the Bengals can place the franchise tag on him if they fail again in finalizing a long-term deal in time. He may be looked at as underrated, but he will not be underpaid when the time comes.
The Bengals will need to decide if they want to be the one paying him.
Bengals veteran is absolutely correct in defense of his teammate
He’s simply speaking facts is all.
