Why would the Cincinnati Bengals let go of wide receiver Tee Higgins?

Given his age, stage, and contribution, the franchise’s stance on the talented pass catcher’s future is not just puzzling but divisive, as has been shown by the reaction of his teammate. The question now is, will Tee Higgins get his wish or will he be shown the door?

Tee Higgins’ future lies away from Cincinnati

You may have seen that the Cincinnati Bengals just made star quarterback Joe Burrow the highest-paid player in NFL history. That of course was a major success for the franchise, as it secured the long-term services of a player that has been central to its sensational success over the last few seasons. Yet, as is the case with any team, it’s a sum of its parts. This brings us to the contractual situation of two of the team’s other stars, wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Where Chase is concerned, he has two years remaining on his rookie deal. On the other hand, Higgins who is entering the final year of his rookie deal and was hopeful of an extension is now facing an unexpected situation.

According to reports, not only has the Clemson product never been close to agreeing on an extension with the franchise, but it has now indicated that the wide receiver is not in its long-term plans. It is understood that Higgins received an offer this offseason, however, it reportedly was lower than what he believed he could receive on the open market. It’s worth noting that Higgins will be eligible for a franchise tag next year if the Bengals chose to activate it. As things stand, this will be his last season in Cincinnati. Asked on Friday whether he expected negotiations to be fruitful in the coming days, he responded while laughing. “I hope so,” he said before adding that he had “no clue.” Maintaining professionalism, Higgins spoke of where his focus is at right now. “My job is just to come in every day and do what I do best, just work, and catch the ball from No. 9,” Higgins said.

Tyler Boyd is not happy with Tee Higgins’ situation

Given what Higgins has done for the Bengals since he was selected by the team in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 33rd overall pick, it might seem a bit strange that the team has no interest in keeping him. To be clear, Higgins has surpassed 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, and like Burrow was an essential part of the Bengals’ recent success. If you ask the Bengals’ veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd, however, it’s not just strange, it’s disturbing. “He got the short end of the stick,” Boyd said of Higgins’ uncertain future. “He’s worth a lot. They have to come up with some type of agreement. I hope they get something done over the next couple weeks.”

The math doesn’t add up for the Bengals

Well, here’s the thing: There were in fact rumors this offseason about the possibility of Higgins being traded. With Burrow’s recent contract agreement, you can imagine that the franchise’s focus was elsewhere, and understandably so. Yet, we can’t forget that the chatter was dismissed by Bengals general manager Duke Tobin during the NFL Combine. Where Higgins himself is concerned, he’s always maintained that he’d like to stay with the Bengals for the duration of his career. So, what’s the problem? Quite frankly, money.

At his current projected market value, Higgins is worth a four-year, $22.6 million contract. Then, there’s Ja’Marr Chase who has a projected market value that sits just below $25 million annually. That’s a fair chunk of change, which needless to say would require some financial gymnastics, and even more so after what the franchise just forked out for Burrow. What that means is that the 24-year-old can now ‘look forward’ to playing the 2023 season on a significantly lower salary i.e., around $3 million with a cap hit of roughly $3.96 million. Unfortunately, such are the pitfalls of being a top-tier team that’s trying to maintain its top-tier talent.