WR Tee Hіggіnѕ mаkeѕ notаble commentѕ аbout future wіtһ Bengаlѕ

Wide receiver Tee Higgins is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and still sounds unsure about his future with the Cincinnati Bengals.

"We all want to keep the core pieces what it is ... Obviously, we want to build something here in Cincy," Higgins told Joe Danneman of WXIX-TV in Cincinnati on Sunday. "But it's not in my hands right now. I got to do what I need to do, and if that's go to another team, that's what happens."  

The Bengals franchise tagged Higgins before the start of the 2024 season. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Bengals have never re-signed a player the year after he was tagged since the franchise tag's inception in 1993.

Fellow Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, which could decrease the chance the Bengals sign Higgins to a new deal this offseason.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has clarified that he wants the team to keep both wideouts. During Super Bowl week in New Orleans, he told FanDuel's Kay Adams he's willing to restructure his deal (five years, $275M) to free up cap space for the Bengals. 

Over the Cap estimates Burrow restructuring his deal would yield $19.264M in cap savings for Cincinnati, which could be enough for a Higgins deal. Spotrac projects that the WR's market value is a four-year deal worth $25.4M annually.

Other WR-needy clubs (Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots) may be willing to outbid the Bengals to land a productive pass-catcher in Higgins. In 12 regular-season games in 2024, the 26-year-old had 73 receptions for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdown catches. 

However, Higgins clearly wants to keep playing with an elite QB in Burrow, who led the league in TD passes (43 in 17 games) in 2024. 

The Bengals should prepare a deal for Higgins before free agency starts on March 12 at 4 p.m. ET. After missing the playoffs for two straight seasons, they can't afford to lose good players and want to keep Burrow happy.