Tee Higgins Rumors: Bengals Committed to Signing WR to Contract Extension After Tag

The Cincinnati Bengals are "committed" to signing wide receiver Tee Higgins to a long-term contract extension before the July 15 deadline, according to Dianna Russini, Paul Dehner Jr. and Amos Morale III of The Athletic.

His franchise tag will earn him $26.2 million in 2025 and if he does not sign an extension, he would have many suitors next free agency.

This is the second year in a row that the 26-year-old has been assigned a franchise tag. Higgins had 911 yards last season on 73 receptions with 10 touchdowns.

“I think you guys all know what I feel about Tee Higgins. I think Tee Higgins is a fantastic football player and I want him on my football team," Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. "Whenever I’m in charge of a football team, I want Tee Higgins. So I’m going to do what I can to get Tee Higgins. Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement. Always has been. It continues to be.”

Face of the franchise quarterback Joe Burrow has also made it clear that he wants to do whatever he can to secure Higgins for the long run—even adjusting his own contract to help support his teammates.

"We have the cap space to get it done. I wanna make it happen. Everybody involved, Trey (Hendrickson), Tee, Ja'Marr (Chase), Mike G(esicki), we all wanna stay together. So, when you have guys that are motivated like that, I think you can get those things done," Burrow said, per Fox Sports.

The Bengals are also looking to secure a long-term extension with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. An offer was made on behalf of the Bengals but the "two sides reportedly remain far apart for now," according to The Athletic NFL Staff.

“Ja’Marr is always going to be our priority," Tobin said. "He’s a fantastic football player, he’s going to end up being the No. 1-paid non-quarterback in the league.”

Chase recently became just the sixth wide receiver in NFL history to record a triple crown as he lead the league in receptions with 127, yards with 1,708 and touchdowns with 17 last season.

Expectations around the league are that the Bengals will get a deal done with Higgins before fully committing to Chase, according to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr.