Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin said the team needs to find the “right number” to extend Tee Higgins this offseason.
Tobin said a new deal for Ja’Marr Chase is a top priority this offseason but added that the team is also interested in signing Higgins to an extension. “It’s going to be hard” to keep both players, Tobin noted, but he’s hopeful the Bengals and Higgins can agree to something comfortable for both sides based on his experience, playing time, and production over the first five seasons. The Bengals are saying all of the right things, but a number that might be “right” for the Bengals may not necessarily be right for Higgins, who is expected to field several lucrative offers on the open market. There will be plenty of time for the two sides to negotiate before free agency kicks off later this year, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Higgins opted to test free agency regardless.