Cincinnati may finally run out of time to keep a fan favorite superstar. The Cincinnati Bengals have built one of the NFL’s most explosive and thrilling attacks in recent years. Led by one of the league’s greatest quarterbacks, Joe Burrow, this offense has assembled a roster of brilliant weapons that make this team truly unique. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, this comes at a cost: thanks to the NFL’s well-designed pay cap system, the next several years will be a headache figuring out the best way to distribute money and retain this outstanding collection of players.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver targets critical date next week. The ongoing contract negotiations with the organization’s two finest offensive skill players are the most immediate concern, as the pay cap tightens its hold on the team. This offseason, both top deep threat Ja’Marr Chase and superb target man Tee Higgins have battled the front office to sign contract extensions. Unfortunately, as we approach mid-July, it appears like both players will leave without an extension, as this historically frugal franchise keeps its cards close to its breast. While this isn’t a significant problem for Chase, who has another two years with Cincinnati on his current contract, Higgins is in a very different situation
after his contract ended this offseason. Cincinnati used the franchise tag to lock in the Clemson product for the 2024 season, but this team only has a limited amount of time to work out an extension before the franchise tag is locked in for the season. That date is approaching way too rapidly. On Monday of next week, Higgins will be locked into his franchise tag (one-year contract) for the upcoming season and will no longer be able to negotiate an extension. Cincinnati will have to compete with the rest of the league in the offseason after Higgins becomes a free agent next offseason. For a popular player and fan favorite, this is certainly not the way that the organization wanted this situation to play out. While Higgins has been a perfect team player, the front office needed to show some foresight and realize that this situation was inevitable with the multitude of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Last offseason, there was a discussion that Higgins may have been able to be traded for a first-round pick or even multiple picks. After a disastrous 2023 season and 2024 offseason, it almost looks certain that Higgins will leave the team with no return next year and no one is to blame but management.
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