Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is in line for a contract extension. The Bengals’ front office is busy negotiating deals for quarterback Joe Burrow, linebacker Logan Wilson and Higgins as they are eligible for their next deals.
Is it a challenge to try and find ways to keep everyone on the roster? Yes. But the Bengals see it as a good problem to have because it means they’ve drafted well in recent years and want to keep their homegrown players.
In addition to putting together what will be the largest contract the franchise has ever given a player for Burrow; executive vice president Katie Blackburn has watched the wide receiver market skyrocket over the last two years.
One of the main questions heading into the 2022 season was can Higgins prove he’s a No. 1 wide receiver? He checked that box when Ja’Marr Chase injured his hip and was sidelined for four games. Higgins carried the Bengals during that stretch as the top receiver for Burrow. The former Clemson star proved he can be moved all over the field and produced catching 26 passes for 371 yards and two touchdowns during the four-game span.
Higgins is only 24 years old as he enters his fourth season in the NFL. If he were to hit free agency, he would demand a lot of attention because of his talent and age.
It’s important to look at the totality of the wide receiver market when trying to forecast what Higgins’ deal could look like. With Ja’Marr Chase on the roster, who’s also up for a new contract next offseason, it brings questions as to how the Bengals will keep both of Burrow’s favorite weapons.
While we don’t know what Higgins will get in his next deal right now, based on what the top players at the position are doing, predictions can be made based on the information available.
Let’s take a closer look at the highest paid wide receivers in the NFL and what their contracts look like.
Age: 29
Total value: $120 million
Average per year: $30 million
Total guaranteed: $72 million
Age: 31
Total value: $140 million
Average per year: $28 million
Total guaranteed: $65 million
Age: 31
Total value: $54 million
Average per year: $27 million
Total guaranteed: 49 million
Age: 30
Total value: $80 million
Average per year: $26 million
Total guaranteed: $75 million
Age: 26
Total value: $100 million
Average per year: $25 million
Total guaranteed: $56 million
Based off Higgins’ age and the style of wide receiver he is, there are two players who resemble his skillset that recently got new deals. It’s highly unlikely Higgins would get the amount of money Hill or Adams got. Chase is more likely to demand that kind of money because of his style and production since entering the NFL. The two players Higgins will likely draw comparisons to are DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks and AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles. Metcalf and Brown are big, physical receivers who are around the same age as Higgins.
Metcalf signed a three-year extension with the Seahawks during training camp ahead of the 2022 season.
Here’s a look at Higgins’ current deal:
Age: 26 Total value: $72 million Average per year: $24 million Total guaranteed: $58 million
It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Higgins makes anything less than $25 million per year. The total guaranteed money is also important to keep in mind. Higgins is represented by David Mulugheta of Athletes First who famously negotiated the first fully guaranteed contract in the NFL for Deshaun Watson. That’s not to say Higgins is asking for anything close to a fully guaranteed deal, it’s simply stating total guaranteed money is something Mulugheta ensures his clients get exactly what they deserve. Mulugheta and the Bengals failed to come to an agreement on an extension for safety Jessie Bates who recently signed with the Falcons in free agency.
Rather than skipping the voluntary offseason program due to contract negotiations, which some players have historically done, Higgins showed up. He wants to continue to play for the Bengals and catch passes from Burrow. To him, he gained nothing by not being in Cincinnati this offseason. Surely, the Bengals’ front office will take note of that.
“At the end of the day, I’m here for me,” Higgins said last week. “I want to get my body in the best shape to play at the highest level come game time.”
How does Joe Burrow’s contract extension affect Tee Higgins’ future?
The Bengals’ top priority is Burrow’s contact which is “in the works” according to Burrow. When asked if Burrow is aware of players like Higgins who are up for new deals, Burrow assured his teammates that he’s keeping everyone in mind. Burrow says he has a plan and he’s keeping the process private – the way he prefers.
“Yeah, it’s definitely whenever you have guys on the team that need to be paid, that’s always on your mind,” Burrow said. “You want that to be a focal point and so we’re working to make that happen.”
Chase, who’s a close friend of Burrow and Higgins, was asked about Burrow potentially wanting to structure his contract in a way that allows other players to get paid and stay in Cincinnati. Chase reiterated Burrow’s desire to win, which falls in line with everything Burrow’s teammates and coaches have said about him, and that he knows what it takes to do so in the NFL.
Winning at a high level means keeping Higgins and Chase as Burrow’s primary targets.
“He knows what he has to do to win and he wants to win,” Chase said. “He’s a winning guy. He’s not a quarterback that’s always interested in money and all that other stuff. He just wants to win, and that’s the big thing about Joe.”
Time is starting to tick as the Bengals begin organized team activities (OTAs) this week as the final phase of the offseason program. After it concludes in mid-June, the players and coaches break for the summer before returning for training camp at the end of July. And while it shouldn’t be worrisome that the Bengals and these key players don’t have new deals yet, it’s important to point out the timeline.
If Higgins doesn’t have an extension in place by Week 1 of the upcoming season, that’s when things could get complicated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What are the Cincinnati Bengals going to have to pay WR Tee Higgins?