Joe Burrow’s 5-year, $275 million contract, signed just a year ago, will take effect next season, with a $46 million cap charge, up from $29 million in 2024, when he is playing out the 5th-year-option final leg of his rookie contract.
As a result, the Bengals have remained in win-now mentality, adding a slew of starter-caliber players in free agency, including veteran tackle Trent Brown, tight end Mike Gesicki, safeties Vonn Bell and Geno Stone, and defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins.
The one position they appear to be having difficulty paying is wide out, with disgruntled wideout and former second-round pick Tee Higgins placed on the franchise tag and no long-term deal in the works. This is probably a little weird, given the non-renewal of #3 receiver Tyler Boyd earlier this offseason, who, along with Higgins and #1 WR Ja’Marr Chase, formerly made up the best receiving trio in the National Football League.
Tee Higgins Could Be Traded At Any Point, For The Right Price
However, with all of the bustle, the rumour mill begins to churn, and it appears that another name has risen to the top of the list: AFC rivals the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After missing out on re-signing former WR Calvin Ridley, the Jaguars’ receiving corps appears to be dreadfully thin, with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Gabe Davis forming an unusual, hit-or-miss trio lacking real star power.
According to Alex Key of Bleacher Report, following the Stefon Diggs trade to the Houston Texans, who offered the Buffalo Bills only a 2025 second round pick in exchange for the former All-Pro’s talents, the market may now be set so that Higgins’ highest price may no longer exceed a second round pick in 2024.
Tee Higgins, together with former first-round pick Trevor Lawrence and stud running back Travis Etienne, has the potential to cause significant damage to the Jaguars. However, it remains to be seen whether the Cincinnati Bengals are desperate enough to trade the former Clemson standout to accept less than a first-round pick in the next two years. If so, the issue becomes, what will the Bengals do at receiver?
