As the Bengals shift their stance on Tee Higgins’ future, is there a possibility of the Bears pursuing the wide receiver?
INDIANAPOLIS — Tee Higgins, the Cincinnati Bengals, and possibly the Bears find themselves in a notably different situation compared to a year ago.
A year ago at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Bengals’ general manager Duke Tobin firmly dismissed any speculation about trading Higgins, who was in the final year of his rookie contract, to the Bears or any other team in need of a receiver.
Tobin stated, “I’m not in the business of making other teams better. I’m in the business of making the Cincinnati Bengals better. So trading Tee Higgins is not on my mind. That’s their problem; they want a receiver, they can go find their own. In my opinion, Tee is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals, so the trade stuff is a little ridiculous.”
Fast forward to Tuesday, and Tobin’s stance has shifted slightly, influenced by the realities of the NFL and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Despite placing the franchise tag on Higgins last week, securing him for $21.816 million in 2024, the Bengals have left the door open for a potential trade. While they aim to retain Higgins and optimize quarterback Joe Burrow’s prime, the looming financial implications, with Burrow’s cap hit nearing $50 million in 2025 and Ja’Marr Chase seeking a long-term extension, suggest Higgins could become expendable in Cincinnati.
Addressing reporters in Indianapolis, Tobin acknowledged the possibility of trading Higgins, emphasizing the Bengals’ preference for retaining him. Tobin stated, “The message is we really like Tee, and we’re a better team with Tee. In terms of our intentions going forward and answering hypotheticals of what could and couldn’t come about, I won’t get into that. But we feel like we’re a better team with him. The reason we franchised him is because we would like to have him. He’s not under contract, and it’s hard for me to predict all the different scenarios that could happen, but we feel strongly about Tee Higgins and his fit with us.”
While Tobin expressed a desire to secure Higgins long-term, he acknowledged the challenges inherent in doing so. “It’s always a priority when you think about premier-type players and how long you want them,” Tobin explained. “We work within the confines of the CBA, like every other team does. And sometimes things come together on a long-term basis. Sometimes they don’t. So we use the resources we have. But we’re always thinking about the future of players and who’s coming up and who all we want to have long-term relationships with. And it’s a never-ending puzzle. Just when you put a piece in, somebody reaches over and takes a piece out, and so we’re trying to fit more pieces in than they’re taking out.”
Higgins, speaking to NBC Sports Chicago at Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas, acknowledged the likelihood of being tagged but remained open to exploring his options in free agency, emphasizing his desire to stay with the Bengals long-term. He stated, “So we want to keep it together as long as we can. But right now, I’m in a predicament where it’s out of my control, you know, especially with the tag. So, you know, whatever happens, happens right now. And then, you know, if I want a hit free agency and, you know, whenever the free agency hits, then it’ll be a market trial. Right? And so I got nothing. I can’t do anything until then.”
