Chad Johnson dumps a bucket of cold water on Bengals fans after Tee Higgins' dominant game vs Broncos
Tee Higgins showed the Cincinnati Bengals and the entire NFL why he deserves the bag this offseason. The question is which team will give it to him.Cincinnati will have first dibs when the offseason begins. Higgins won't become a free agent until March, and the club can even place a second franchise tag on him […]
Tee Higgins showed the Cincinnati Bengals and the entire NFL why he deserves the bag this offseason. The question is which team will give it to him.
Cincinnati will have first dibs when the offseason begins. Higgins won't become a free agent until March, and the club can even place a second franchise tag on him before then.
But if the Bengals intend to pay Higgins more than another expensive one-year deal, Chad Johnson doesn't believe it to be possible.
Johnson took a moment on the latest episode of Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe to say what he really believes about the Bengals' incoming task of re-signing Higgins along with extending Ja'Marr Chase for the projected price of $40 million per year. It's not a friendly message for Bengals fans.
"And the funny thing I hear people always say, 'Oh, we can pay Tee and we can pay Ja'Marr,' No, you f***ing can't," Johnson said. "This ain't Madden. This ain't a video game. This is real life. What defense? We have to address the defense! What are you talking about? We're gonna have a $55 million quarterback, we're gonna have a $40 million receiver, and Tee ain't gonna be making no $30 goddamn million. [Higgins] needs to be somewhere where he can get what he deserves."
Much has been speculated recently about Higgins re-signing with the Bengals after he dumped his previous agent, David Mulugheta, and hired the same agents who represent Chase. All of the fire was fueled by Joe Burrow's confidence in the front office retaining the wideout drafted after him in 2020.
"I'm confident that I think we're gonna be able to do what it takes to bring Tee back," Burrow said earlier this month. "And I know that I'm gonna do what it takes to get him back, and so is he. We've had those talks. Those are gonna be offseason discussions, but I think we're excited about that opportunity."
Johnson's passion about the subject seems to stem from his belief that Higgins deserves a contract indicative of a true No. 1 receiver, and that he won't get that deal with Chase in the picture.
"He's not No. 2 receiver money, don't do that," Johnson said of Higgins. "That's disrespectful. That's disrespectful to him and the work he's been put in. And I'm more Bengal than any Bengals fan, and I'm telling you how it should be."
Johnson is entirely correct that Higgins deserves to cash in as much as possible, if that's in fact what he desires. It was certainly his goal when he hired Mulugheta to represent him years ago. The head of Athletes First notoriously gets his clients the most guaranteed money in the business. Higgins' decision to switch to Chase's agency might mean that he isn't looking to secure the largest deal possible, rather the best one for him to stay with Burrow and Chase.
As of now, history definitely sides with Johnson. Should the Bengals pull off the improbable task of retaining both receivers, it'll be worth hearing his reaction.
Tee Higgins’ career game puts the Bengals in a position they can’t afford to fumble
Higgins showed out for what could be his last home game with the Bengals.
