Tee Higgins and the Bengals are a mess with likely extension deadline whiff

The Cincinnati Bengals have enjoyed a rebirth in recent seasons. This was a franchise that reached the playoffs from 2011-15, but failed to win a postseason contest over that span. The club hit the skids the next four seasons with a combined 21-42-1 record, hitting rock bottom with a 2-14 mark in 2019.

The Bengals used the first-overall pick in 2020 on quarterback Joe Burrow. He took his lumps and didn’t make it through his rookie campaign. However, he and the team got a wake up call in 2021. Zac Taylor’s club won the AFC North with a 10-7 record. Playoff wins over the Raiders, Titans, and Chiefs put Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI, where they loss a heartbreaker to the Rams, 23-20.

Taylor’s team was even better in 2022, finishing 12-4 on the way to another division title. They knocked off the Ravens and Bills on the way to an AFC Championship Game rematch at Kansas City, but came up short.

This past season, Burrow missed the final seven games with a wrist injury. The Bengals still finished 9-8, but missed the playoffs. Wide receiver Tyler Boyd is now a member of the Tennessee Titans, while running back Joe Mixon was reportedly cut, but then dealt to the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, could there be another major departure on the horizon that would affect Cincinnati’s attack?

What does the future hold for Bengals’ WR Tee Higgins?

This offseason, Higgins was one of nine NFL players slapped with the franchise tag. Last month, he signed the one-year, $21.816 million tender. Monday (July 15) is the deadline for teams to sign those players to long-terms deals. Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, that won’t be the case with Bengals and Higgins.

Here’s something to ponder in regards to two of those other eight players tagged. Two of those performers, outside linebacker Brian Burns (Panthers) and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (Chiefs), were dealt to the Giants and Titans, respectively, then each received a significant raise. The team still has three-time Pro Bowler Ja’Marr Chase and used a third-round pick in April on Alabama wideout Jermaine Burton.

With Higgins now under contract, could the Bengals be thinking they may be able to get good value by dealing the productive performer who has excelled in the postseason as well?