Bengals Rumors: Tee Higgins Contract Extension Might Not Be Completed 'Anytime Soon'

The Cincinnati Bengals and wide receiver Tee Higgins are reportedly not expected to have a long-term contract in place "anytime soon."

Dan Graziano of ESPN reported the two sides are seemingly in a holding pattern as Higgins waits for new contracts for Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb to set the market. Higgins is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023 season.

"Y'all know me," Higgins told reporters in July. "I just want to get my work in and contribute to the team any way I can, so whenever that happens, that's God's timing."

The Bengals are also negotiating a long-term deal with Joe Burrow and have Ja'Marr Chase due for an extension next offseason, which complicates matters. While Higgins has compiled two straight 1,000-yard seasons, he's a non-Pro Bowler and the most expendable of Cincinnati's Big Three on offense.

Given the glut of high-caliber receivers across the NFL, the Bengals will have to calculate how much they're willing to spend to keep Burrow, Chase and Higgins together. With Higgins assuredly looking to press into the $25 million range, Chase likely pushing $30 million next offseason and Burrow averaging well over $50 million on his next contract, that's an awful lot of cap space tied up in three players.

The Bengals will be able to pull some cap wizardry to make sure the yearly cap numbers are well below the average annual value of the contracts, but sacrifices will have to be made elsewhere on the roster to ensure Burrow has his top two pass catchers moving forward.

One potential avenue for Cincinnati would be to use the franchise tag on Higgins next offseason with the idea of trading him, but that's an unlikely scenario. If the Bengals were planning on considering moving on from Higgins, they would have done so this offseason while his value was high with his cap hold still being low.