It is finally time for Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins to cash in big-time in free agency and there is little doubt that he has the talents to be the No.1 alpha wideout on any team that does not also field Ja'Marr Chase.  But Higgins is in no rush to leave Cincinnati, calling the Bengals his "number one option" over the rest of the market according to Chris Roling of USA Today Sports.

The Bengals clearly want him back, with Joe Burrow, Chase, and head coach Zac Taylor all publicly ging to bat for him.  “Them telling me that they want me to come back, man, it’s family,” Higgins said. “We’ve been playing together for three or four years now, and I personally would love to be back playing with those guys. It’s not in my hands now, but when the time comes and Cincinnati is there, that’s the number one option right now.”

Higgins returning for at least one season is effectively guaranteed. The Bengals are likely to use the franchise tag to retain him if the two sides can’t reach a long-term extension before free agency opens — following the same trajectory as Jessie Bates in recent years, who happens to share an agent with Higgins.

Getting a long-term deal done will be a lot harder.  Burrow got paid big-time in 2023 and Chase will be the main priority for big money next offseason.  The Bengals also wanted to keep Bates but the realities of the salary cap meant the Pro Bowl safety ended up playing in Atlanta this season on a shiny new deal.  It is hard to imagine the Bengals finding a way to keep the trio of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins together beyond 2024.