Tee Higgins just gave Cincinnati Bengals fans something to stress about.
The star wide receiver, whose future in Cincinnati has been a hot topic entering the offseason, dropped a cryptic post on social media that instantly had social media buzzing.
Tee Higgins’ Latest Post is Making Rounds Among Fans Amidst Trade Rumors
Higgins’ contract is set to expire next month, which means he could be franchise-tagged by the Bengals for a second straight year, but the team’s front office insists their priority is signing him to a long-term deal.
Higgins took to X to seemingly respond to this claim, posting a single blue cap emoji: “🧢.”
🧢
— Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) February 26, 2025
For those unfamiliar with the slang, “cap” is shorthand for calling something a lie. The comment sparked reactions as it came just hours after Cincinnati’s director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, claimed that they are looking to lock in Higgins for long-term at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“Tee Higgins… seems like three or four or five years I’ve been talking about Tee. I think you guys all know what I feel about Tee Higgins,” Tobin said. “I think Tee Higgins is a fantastic football player, and I want him on my football team.
“Whenever I’m in charge of a football team, I’ll want Tee Higgins. Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement. Always has been, and it continues to be… We’re fortunate to be in a position to where we can fit them all [of our team’s great players] in.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor also spoke about Higgins at the Combine, praising him as a key player for the team and saying, “We want Tee back, and we’re continuing to work through that.”
Fans immediately started speculating if Higgins was implying that the Bengals weren’t being truthful about their intentions. The timing of Higgins’ post right after both Taylor and Tobin addressed his contract situation made it even harder to ignore.
It’s worth noting that Higgins’ mother, Lady Stewart, recently posted: “Selfish bastards.” While she walked this back and claimed it wasn’t related to her son’s contract talks with the Bengals, it’s possible she was doing damage control after stirring the pot.
If the Bengals and Higgins can’t reach a long-term deal, they could franchise tag him for another year, but that might not sit well with the receiver. Tobin said the team plans to make Ja’Marr Chase the highest-paid non-QB in the league, so it’s unclear how that will impact Higgins’ contract talks.
Higgins’ post has raised more questions than answers. It doesn’t seem like a great sign for the Bengals, but it’s hard to know for certain if this was a direct shot at the front office.