Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown doesn't appear too concerned about letting wide receiver Tee Higgins enter the 2024 NFL season without a long-term contract. And neither does Higgins.
Despite reportedly seeking a trade earlier this offseason, the 25-year-old pass catcher reported to training camp this week, and now tells Bengals.com he's fully committed to the club.
"I had time to reflect and think," Higgins said. "I had long talks with my agent. A lot of back and forth about what I wanted to do. I just made the decision to sign the [franchise] tag. At the end of the day, I just wanted to come out here and try to win a Super Bowl. I'm happy with the decision I made. I'm here for the Bengals for the 2024 season. I'm ready to get it done and get with my guys."
Higgins is referring to the one-year, $21.8 million tag the Bengals placed upon him in February. While the deal is fully guaranteed, it prevented the fifth-year veteran from testing the open market in March, and both sides failed to come to a long-term agreement in the months to follow.
"I grew up with nothing," Higgins explained. "This is still life-changing money. I look at where I'm from and what I grew up with, moving from house to house. This can change my life forever. That's how I look at it."
Brown hinted recently that a new deal for Higgins, which cannot be forged until after the 2024 season now that the deadline for tagged-player extensions has passed, remains unlikely: "You can't just pay people willy nilly," Brown said, despite also expressing optimism in extending Higgins' fellow wideout Ja'Marr Chase.
The Bengals' approach, however, has indirectly elevated Higgins' motivation for the 2024 season.
"This could be the last ride for me and the guys," Higgins said. "You never know. Instead of holding out and waiting and just watching from afar, I'd rather be in the mix with the guys and grind it out with them. That's how I've always been."