Tee Higgins

Sooner or later, the Cincinnati Bengals are going to have to make a tough decision on wide receiver Tee Higgins, and one NFL assistant coach made the case for ripping the bandage off now.

The assistant told The Athletic's Jeff Howe the Bengals should move on from the 2020 second-round pick and even consider dealing him now:

Honestly, you may want to try to trade him this year while there's value and then go draft a young receiver. He's really good in that system. He's a good receiver, but I don't think he's so dynamic that you can't replace his value or production. [Ja'Marr] Chase is going to command so much more attention, that whoever is playing opposite of him is going to get favorable matchups.

An NFL team executive told Howe Cincinnati should prioritize extensions for Chase and Joe Burrow and be content to lose Higgins either through free agency or a trade.

The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Spotrac projects his next contract to be worth four years and $80.6 million, which would make him the 11th-highest-paid wideout.

If Higgins were the Bengals' No. 1 option, then an extension might be a no-brainer. He's coming off his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season, and he has been a consistent performer from the moment he entered the league.

But sacrifices are required in a salary-capped league, and it will be tough to retain Higgins at what he's worth while paying Burrow and Chase at market-level rates as well.

Should he sign a multiyear pact, Burrow will in all likelihood get the biggest contract in franchise history, one that is bound to average $40 million-plus annually based on the current spending levels for quarterbacks.

Chase, meanwhile, is probably looking at upwards of $25 million or more, a number that is bound to grow if he adds another Pro Bowl nod or two before becoming a free agent in 2026.

Drafting a receiver worked out nicely for the Bengals in 2020 and 2021, so the scouting department seems to have a good read on the position. If you're the front office, you should bet on yourselves to identify the right replacement for Higgins.

The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly have no interest in breaking up the core that helped them reach two AFC Championship Games and the Super Bowl during the past two seasons.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler cited a source on SportsCenter who said "the process is underway" regarding quarterback Joe Burrow's contract extension. Fowler noted the plan is "to do this early, just three years into his rookie deal, to try to spread out that salary-cap hit."

Doing so could help in the team's efforts to keep wide receiver Tee Higgins, who has just one season remaining on his current contract.

While Fowler suggested a contract extension for Burrow and Higgins is "going to be tough because they've got Ja'Marr Chase to pay the year after," he also pointed out the Bengals turned away inquiries for their No. 2 wide receiver during the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Clemson product has been excellent for Cincinnati during the start of his career and is coming off his second straight season with more than 1,000 receiving yards when he posted 74 catches for 1,029 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022.

If the Bengals have their way, he will continue posting 1,000-yard campaigns for them for years to come.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins is heading into the final year of his contract, but he told The Pat McAfee Show he isn't concerned about his next deal.

"I'm just preparing for the season," Higgins said (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com). "I'm not really worried about the contract. Obviously, I want to get a deal done, but I let my agent handle that, and you know, right now, just for me getting my body right for next season."

Higgins' pending free agency has created plenty of speculation about a potential trade this offseason, although Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported teams "don't believe he's available."

The Bengals might not have the ability to pay Higgins his market value with both Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase due for new contracts in the coming years. Some have thought Higgins could seek a new location where he would be the No. 1 receiver and paid at this level.

The Bengals have publicly denied the idea of a trade, however.

"Trading Tee Higgins is not on my mind," director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters in February. "The trade stuff is a little ridiculous right now."

Higgins thought this statement was a big one as he tries to remain in Cincinnati.

"It was good to hear them say that," the wideout said. "It made me feel like they want me here, man. Hopefully, we can get the deal done."

The 24-year-old had 74 catches for 1,029 yards and seven touchdowns last season, his third straight year with at least 900 receiving yards. Keeping Higgins will help the Bengals build upon last year's fifth-ranked passing attack as they try to bring home a Super Bowl title.

Fans might want to see Tee Higgins on the move this offseason, but Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that "rival teams still don't believe he's available" in a trade.

It remains in line with the public stance made by director of player personnel Duke Tobin at the scouting combine in February.

"Trading Tee Higgins is not on my mind," Tobin told reporters. "That's their problem. They want a receiver? Go find your own. In my opinion, Tee Higgins is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals. The trade stuff is a little ridiculous right now."

The trade speculation has come from the fact Higgins is heading into the final year of his rookie contract after being drafted in the second round in 2020.

With the Cincinnati Bengals needing to pay quarterback Joe Burrow and fellow receiver Ja'Marr Chase in the coming years, there's an expectation there won't be enough money to pay Higgins his market value.

A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams were all traded before earning big new contracts last offseason, providing a chance for Higgins to take a similar path in 2023.

On the other hand, the Bengals might not want to trade away a key piece of their offense while they remain a title contender. The squad reached the Super Bowl two years ago and fell four points short of returning last season after suffering an AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Keeping Higgins will restore one of the top passing attacks in the NFL while taking pressure off Chase down the field.

Though sometimes overshadowed by his teammates, Higgins has been extremely consistent through three NFL seasons with at least 67 catches and 900 yards each year. The 24-year-old could be in for another big year in 2023, providing an opportunity to cash in as a free agent next offseason.

There has been no shortage of player movement early in NFL free-agency week. While the market won't officially open until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the legal-contract period opened at noon ET on Monday.

Several players have already agreed to join new teams, including both of the Cincinnati Bengals' 2022 starting safeties.

While most of the focus has been on free agency, a few things could be brewing on the trade market as well. No, we haven't heard anything on the Aaron Rodgers front, but another North star could be on the move.

"The Vikings are open for business as well. They've released three veteran players thus far—including legacy player Adam Thielen—and multiple teams believe Minnesota has had trade talks centered around running back Dalvin Cook," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote on Sunday.

While Cook wouldn't help Cincinnati reload at safety, he's a player in whom the Bengals should be very interested if he becomes available.

Cincinnati has a serviceable starter in Joe Mixon, a back who can run, catch and pass protect well. However, Mixon has never been a truly explosive or dominant runner (4.1 yards per carry career average), and he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in 2022.

The Bengals could save $7.3 million by releasing Mixon, and they could save $10 million by releasing him with a post-June 1 designation. He's a viable cut candidate if the Bengals can find an upgrade or at least an adequate replacement.

Cook would be an upgrade.

The 27-year-old Cook has been a much more dynamic running back during his time in the NFL. He's coming off his fourth-straight Pro Bowl campaign and averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 7.6 yards per reception in 2022.

Cook's rushing and receiving averages in 2022 were notably higher than Mixon's (3.9 and 7.4) and Cook also had a higher yards-after-contact average (1.8 versus 1.5).

Simply put, Cook is a more dynamic back than Mixon, one with more speed, more elusiveness and more breakaway ability—Cook's longest run in 2022 (81 yards) was more than double Mixon's (40).

Replacing Mixon with Cook would add another home-run threat to an offense that already features Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Ja'Marr Chase. It could also help protect quarterback Joe Burrow, who frequently faced pressure from opponents who weren't threatened by Cincinnati's rushing attack.

The Bengals had just six games with 100 rushing yards as a team during the 2022 regular season.

While Cook's 2023 base salary of $10.4 million is on the higher side for a running back, it's only $1 million more than Mixon's base salary.

The caveat, of course, is that we don't know what Minnesota would want in a trade. The 2023 draft class is expected to be deep at the running back position—15 of the top 150 players on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's latest big board are RBs—and Cincinnati shouldn't be willing to pay too high a price.

However, Cook is a proven commodity and a player who could help transform a very good Bengals offense into arguably the best in the league.

*Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.

The Cincinnati Bengals face the tough task of keeping their talented offensive core together, but one of their key players could end up being the odd man out.

While speaking to reporters at the NFL combine on Tuesday, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin indicated that the future of star running back Joe Mixon with the team is uncertain.

"Joe has been a vital part of our team," Tobin said. "He's been a successful part of our team. Again, I'm not gonna predict the offseason because I don't have the answers. In the words of the great Kevin Malone (a character from The Office), 'I don't know.'"

Mixon is set to count for a $12.8 million cap hit in the 2023 season, per Spotrac. Cutting him before June 1 would save Cincinnati $7.3 million in cap space, but it would also result in $5.5 million in dead money. Designating him as a post-June 1 cut would be more beneficial to the team, as the Bengals would save over $10 million in cap space with a dead-money hit of $2.75 million.

The 26-year-old appeared in 14 games last season and ran for 814 yards and seven touchdowns. His average of 58.1 rush yards per game was his lowest since his rookie season. Despite Mixon's regression, Tobin didn't completely shut the door on a potential return, though he indicated that a pay cut could be necessary.

"We'll all see as the offseason goes, what we're able to get done and how the resources are spread around," Tobin said. "But Joe's been a vital part of our team, a successful part, a contributing part. And my job is to try to keep as many of those pieces around as we can."

In addition to having to address Mixon, the Bengals also have to turn their attention to star quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Tee Higgins, both of whom are eligible for contract extensions this offseason.

It all makes for a busy next few weeks for Tobin and company as they try to keep the core that made back-to-back deep postseason runs intact.

The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly been receiving interest from teams looking to trade for wide receiver Tee Higgins, but the franchise has no intentions of dealing him away.

While speaking to reporters at the NFL combine on Tuesday, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin vehemently shot down rumors that the team would be willing to part ways with Higgins, saying a trade for him is "not on my mind":

Higgins is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and it will surely cost a lot to keep a player of his caliber in the fold. The 24-year-old has recorded at least 900 receiving yards in each of his three seasons in the NFL, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in both 2021 and 2022.

While it's understandable that the Bengals would want to hold onto Higgins, the team has other players that will need to be addressed. Most notably, quarterback Joe Burrow is also eligible for a contract extension this offseason. After the 2023 campaign, star wideout Ja'Marr Chase will become eligible for an extension.

Tobin has a tough task ahead of him to try to keep Cincinnati's core intact, but there's a chance Higgins makes things easy for him. Earlier this month, the Clemson product said, "I plan on being in Cincinnati for a while" in response to his involvement in trade rumors. If Higgins and others are willing to take less money, it will aid the Bengals' chances of keeping the band together.

After coming off back-to-back deep postseason runs, Cincinnati has established itself as a title contender in the AFC. It will be imperative for the Bengals to hold on to their best players like Higgins if they want to maintain that status for years to come.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and teams around the league are reportedly interested in gauging the possibility of trading for him this offseason.

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer: "The Bengals are going to get inquiries on Tee Higgins for the same reason the Titans, 49ers, Commanders and Seahawks did on their young receivers last year—Higgins is going into a contract year and will be expensive to keep."

The 24-year-old would generate significant interest on the trade market. A 2020 second-round pick, Higgins has quickly established himself as one of the best young receivers in the NFL. He recorded his second straight 1,000-yard season in 2022, finishing with 74 receptions for 1,029 yards and seven touchdowns. He has recorded at least 900 yards in each of his three seasons in the league.

Higgins is a member of Cincinnati's talented offensive core that will require some attention this offseason and beyond. In addition to the wideout, Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow is also eligible for a contract extension this offseason. Star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who combines with Higgins to form one of the best young receiver tandems in the league, will be eligible for an extension after the 2023 season.

Earlier this month, Higgins addressed his involvement in trade rumors. When asked how long he thinks the Bengals can keep the core together, he responded, "Hopefully for a long time, I plan on being in Cincinnati for a while."

The Bengals went 12-4 this past season and fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. It was the team's second straight deep run in the playoffs, indicating a bright future. However, it will all come down to Cincinnati's ability to hold on to key players like Higgins.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a talented young offensive core, but it will be difficult for them to keep so many star players together over the coming years.

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2023, was asked Thursday about his thoughts on the team's chances of keeping its core intact. He said he's hoping to remain in Cincinnati for the foreseeable future:

Like Higgins, Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow is also eligible for a contract extension this offseason. The team has until May 1 to decide whether to exercise Burrow's fifth-year option. Cincinnati star receiver Ja'Marr Chase becomes eligible for an extension after next season.

On Wednesday, Chase acknowledged to Cydney Henderson of USA Today that it would be tough for the Bengals to keep the band together, but he was hopeful that there aren't any big changes coming soon.

"It would be nice for Tee to be on the same side with me still as long as we can go," Chase said. "Somebody later down the line is going to have to do something for us to have this team stay together."