Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins twice requested a trade this offseason, first after being franchise-tagged by the team and then again before the 2024 NFL Draft. The reasoning for multiple trade requests might be tied to the contract extension offers he’s reportedly received from Cincinnati.
Higgins, the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has become an integral part of the Bengals’ offense. Since landing in Cincinnati, the 6-foot-4 receiver has produced 3,684 receiving yards, 185 first downs and 24 touchdowns on 257 receptions in 58 career games.
- Tee Higgins contract: $21.816 million salary in 2024, NFL free agent in 2025
Related: Highest-paid NFL players 2024
Prior to being franchise-tagged by the Bengals’ organization, Higgins wanted to stay in Cincinnati. As he told WLWT at a football camp in April, he loves the community and wants to remain a part of it. However, negotiations with the franchise on a contract extension haven’t gone well.
“I’ve grown a love for Cincy that I didn’t think I would, but, you know, man, looking forward to it.”
Tee Higgins on playing in Cincinnati, playing for the Bengals in 2024
Related: NFL power rankings, see where Cincinnati Bengals land
The two sides haven’t come close to terms on an extension and Cincinnati has no intention of trading him while it’s trying to compete for a Super Bowl. However, there does appear to be a massive gap in offers between the two sides that suggests Higgins will not be with Cincinnati after this season.
According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer the Bengals’ contract offer to Higgins never approached the $20 million per year ballpark. The gap in the average annual value of the contract was so large that Higgins’ agent didn’t even discuss potential guaranteed money in a new contract.
Typically, NFL teams who use the franchise tag on a player will start contract negotiations around the mark at the value of the tag. However, in the Bengals’, case, they are reportedly shaving off at least $3 million from that evaluation in their proposal.
Also Read: 2025 NFL Draft prospect rankings
For context, 18 wide receivers are currently signed to deals worth at least $20 million per season. Thanks to rising NFL revenue, the cost is also rising with the best receivers in football now worth $30 million annually and the second tier of wideouts worth at least $23-25 million per season. Higgins reportedly wanted a deal similar to what Michael Pittman Jr. ($23.333 million AAV) signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
It was already assumed that the Bengals wouldn’t be signing Higgins to a contract extension, instead letting him play out this season and then leave in NFL free agency next year. If Cincinnati’s offer is that low, though, this information could lead to future problems with players unwilling to sign with an organization that lowballs its own homegrown talent to that degree.