ESPN makes big offseason prediction for Bengals WR Tee Higgins
The Cincinnati Bengals have a couple of big decisions to make at the wide receiver position this offseason. One decision seems easy — give Ja'Marr Chase a lucrative extension. Chase has quickly proven himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league. And considering his history with quarterback Joe Burrow — the two […]
The Cincinnati Bengals have a couple of big decisions to make at the wide receiver position this offseason.
One decision seems easy — give Ja'Marr Chase a lucrative extension. Chase has quickly proven himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league. And considering his history with quarterback Joe Burrow — the two were teammates at LSU — it seems inevitable that Chase will receive that extension.
The other decision isn't quite as easy.
Tee Higgins is set to be a free agent this offseason and he'll likely command WR1 money either via the open market or an extension.
Signing both Higgins and Chase after already extending Burrow could make it tough to upgrade other areas of the Bengals' roster. That's why some analysts think Cincinnati could opt to franchise tag Higgins and trade him.
ESPN's Aaron Schatz predicted this week that the Bengals will place the franchise tag on Higgins, but he doesn't think it will lead to a trade.
Instead, Schatz thinks the Bengals will try to keep Higgins for one more season to keep the offense "rolling".
From ESPN: The Bengals will place the franchise tag on Higgins instead of trading him to another team as often rumored. They are currently sixth in projected cap space for 2024 and can easily fit the franchise tag into their budget and keep this high-end offense rolling.
Higgins could opt to sit out through training camp (or longer) if the Bengals place the franchise tag on him. But it would probably be in his best financial interest to play on the franchise tag in 2024.
The former Clemson wide receiver missed five games in 2023 and caught just 42 passes for 656 yards and five touchdowns (not having a healthy Burrow obviously didn't help those numbers).
Higgins could increase his value on the open market if he plays a full season with Burrow in 2024.
A healthy and motivated Burrow/Higgins combo, along with Chase, could lead to a monster offensive season for the Bengals.
We'll see how it plays out in the offseason, but Schatz's prediction feels like a likely outcome for Higgins ahead of the 2024 season.
Bengals’ spot in 2024 NFL Draft order has been finalized
Cincinnati finished the 2023 season at 9-8.
