Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is at a crossroads. He is set to enter free agency for the second consecutive offseason; meanwhile, Cincy’s front office has sat on its hands complacently rather than proactive in offering the former Clemson star a contract extension.
He posted a six-word message to the Bengals’ brass on Thursday, Feb. 13, saying, “Priorities are rare, options are everywhere.”
Tee Higgins Reminds Bengals He Is a Priority, Not an Option
Higgins was trying to illustrate how he should be considered a priority, a rare commodity. Other receivers might be cheaper and are everywhere, but players of his caliber are not as common. Therefore, it should be a priority to re-sign him.
If the Bengals serve Higgins with the franchise tag again, he would be paid over $26 million for one season, with the money fully guaranteed. Perhaps Higgins is driving home that the options were in the Bengals court while under his rookie contract. Now, they must decide whether or not to prioritize the star WR as the clock ticks to free agency.
In a recent interview with Cincinnati’s local FOX19, Higgins followed up about his situation with the Bengals.
“We’ll see. You never know what the future holds,” Higgins told Joe Danneman. “Obviously, I would love to be here in Cincinnati. I love it here. I love the city. I love the fans. I love the coaching staff. I love everyone in the building, but it’s out of my control.”
Regarding Joe Burrow publicly pressuring the Bengals to re-sign Higgins, the WR said, “That’s what it’s all about. Another brother looking out for his brother, and you can’t ask for nothing more than that.”
“He’s putting that pressure on the front office and whatnot, but we’ll see. I appreciate him and Ja’Marr [Chase] for speaking out and doing things of that nature because guys don’t have to do that.”
He talked further about wanting to re-sign and to see his teammates Chase and Trey Hendrickson get new deals. “We all want to stay together, so we want to make it work. … We all wanted to keep the core pieces the way it is, even with Mike Gesicki, you know what I mean? That’s a core piece as well.
“Obviously, we want to build something together in Cincy, but it’s not in my hands right now. I gotta do what I gotta do, and if that means go to another team, then that’s what will happen.”
Tee Higgins on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/x7IEGIzHXP
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) February 13, 2025
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was beaming when he got back from the Pro Bowl after he had the opportunity to throw to Higgins, Chase, and other top-notch receivers. Many have drawn the connection between Higgins and New England, and they have the salary cap space to make an intriguing offer should Higgins reach free agency.
If the Bengals fail to re-sign Higgins or pass on tagging him again, it would be a safe bet that he gets a satisfactory offer once free agency opens, one that will make him very happy.