Tee Higgins’ future looking more and more like it’s not with the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have a massive decision to make when it comes to addressing free agency. The most glaring issue to address is their defense, which did their best in costing Joe Burrow an MVP award this year. 

But after that, call it priority 1A, is how they plan bringing back Ja’Marr Chase, add Tee Higgins back in the mix and still have money left over to cover Burrow’s contract. ESPN has Higgins ranked as the No. 1 free agent. 

Which means his price tag is high. And what the Bengals can’t afford, another team will. Of course money isn’t everything. The Patriots had a more lucrative offer for Brandon Aiyuk last offseason, but he opted to return to San Francisco. 

That’s in play too, but in Cincinnati, Higgins will always be second-fiddle to Chase. He could go elsewhere and instantly become the focal point of the offense. According to Jeremy Fowler at ESPN, it’s more likely he lands on a new team rather than returning to Cincinnati. 

The Cincinnati Bengals have to show Tee Higgins more than just a paycheck to convince him to stay

"It's possible, but would require some significant trade-offs," an AFC executive told Fowler. "They will have close to $70 million a year tied up in receivers, plus the quarterback cost. I think it makes more sense to go the cheap route, especially given the improvements they need to make on defense."

The Bengals have to convince Higgins a pay cut is worth winning a championship. It’s hard to guarantee a Super Bowl title, especially for a franchise that’s 0-3 in the big game. But money won’t be what keeps Higgins next to Chase next season. 

The biggest pitch for Cincinnati is that they won’t win without him and he’ll never get one without them. They have to convince Higgins he’s invaluable. And he has to negotiate either incentives or a higher signing bonus to compensate for a smaller contract. 

The Bengals don’t have the cap space to keep Burrow’s pockets lined while paying Chase top dollar and properly compensating Higgins. That’s why the AFC executive told Fowler they don’t think Higgins will be back. 

Look back at the Bengals’ late playoff push to end the year. They don’t end the year winning five straight games without Higgins. Even as good as Chase was this year, Higgins’ role as the second option is that critical. 

If the Bengals see how important that is, imagine what the rest of the league thinks, especially the teams that can afford to overpay him to lure him in free agency. The New England Patriots are the first team to come to mind. Drake Maye needs a true No. 1 wide receiver badly. And they have the cap space to offer Higgins whatever he wants and more. That could be too good to pass up on a hope to win a championship. 

Because the Bengals probably had a championship worthy offense this year, but the defense kept them from winning enough games. That problem could persist, especially with Lou Anarumo being scapegoated for the defense's lack of production. 

Addressing the defensive holes will have to be a priority for them. That could cost Cincinnati Higgins in the end, which isn’t a bad thing. But it also means they have to hope they draft the perfect replacement they won’t regret.