The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of talent on their roster, one of the most noteworthy of which is soon-to-be free agent wideout Tee Higgins. But does the team have the inclination – and the money – to bring him back for another year?
Speaking to the media at the Senior Bowl this week, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin admitted that while the team wants to bring Higgins back, they might not be able to do so while also preparing a contract extension for all-world wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. He expressed that the pie of NFL salary cap may not be big enough for the two of them.
“We like Ja’Marr. He’s in our long-term plans. He’s a high-level player in this league. And we want to keep those kinds of players on our team,” Tobin said, via Bengals.com. “I want Tee Higgins back. Everyone on our team would like Tee Higgins back. There’s a pie and there are things we can do and can’t do because of it. We’ll see.”
Higgins is coming off his least productive season but still finished the year with 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns. But in his first three seasons, he had at least 900 yards each year and over 1,000 yards in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Duke Tobin: I want Tee Higgins back, but the pie is only so big. https://t.co/50uYZhEhHK
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 31, 2024
The Bengals have nearly $60 million in cap space (per OverTheCap.com) heading into next season and should be able to find room for both Higgins and Chase. Though they also have some offensive line needs to address if they want to stay in Super Bowl contention.
Is the pie truly not big enough for both Higgins and Chase?