CINCINNATI — Bengals fans can rejoice — Cincinnati has finally reached a contract extension with wide receiver Tee Higgins.
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported on X that the Bengals signed Higgins to a 4-year, $115 million contraction extension.
The agreement comes after Cincinnati placed the $26.2 million franchise tag on the 26-year-old for the second straight season. Last season, Higgins was adamant that he did not enjoy playing without a long-term deal, and he requested atrade after first receiving the franchise tag in March 2024.
At the NFL scouting combine, Duke Tobin, the Bengals' director of player personnel, said it was the team's hope to sign a long-term deal with Higgins.
"Tee Higgins is a fantastic football player, and I want him on my football team," Tobin said at the NFL combine.
In February, Joe Burrow told First Take host Stephen A. Smith on ESPN that he wanted to keep both Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. He also admitted he'd be willing to restructure his own massive contract to keep his top targets. Burrow has also previously called Higgins a "one-of-a-kind player" and "a need." The Bengals finished the 2024 season 9-8, but with Higgins suiting up they were 8-4.
"Tee is a need, yes. It's not even just his production, it's his presence," Burrow said during a press conference in December. "It's how he comes to work every day, how the defenses have to play us when he's out there. Tee plays such a big part in what we do here and has for five years now."
Selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2020 draft, Higgins has had 330 receptions for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns over his five seasons in Cincinnati. During the 2024 season, in which he battled hamstring and quad injuries, he amassed 73 receptions for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in 12 games.
