It is sure to be an offseason of uncertainty, but Cincinnati Bengals fans can take solace knowing one thing.
Staying in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase is Tee Higgins’ top option.
“It means a lot,” Higgins told Bleacher Report when discussing both the quarterback and his fellow wide receiver saying they want him to return even though he is set for free agency this offseason.
“Them telling me that they want me to come back, man, it’s family. 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.”
The wide receiver position is the biggest storyline of the Bengals’ offseason, as Tyler Boyd is also set for free agency alongside Higgins.
As if that wasn’t enough, Chase is eligible for a contract extension even though he would be under team control through 2025 assuming Cincinnati exercises his fifth-year option.
“Who knows how that will unfold at the end of the day,” the LSU product told Bleacher Report when discussing his potential extension.
“We have to worry about Tee this year too, make sure bro gets his money.
And on the other hand, I gotta wait for other receivers like CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson to get paid, too.”
Chase waiting for Jefferson or Lamb to reset the market could lead to some potentially difficult financial realities for Cincinnati.
After all, Burrow already signed a five-year, $275 million deal in September, and giving long-term contracts to the team’s top two wideouts on top of that would be quite the commitment to one or two positions.
That doesn’t mean it’s an either or situation for the Bengals.
They could apply the franchise tag to Higgins, which would be costly in the short-term but provide more time to make a decision all while the team was still competitive with two star receivers in 2024.
Or they could see such a dynamic pairing as worth the financial commitment and reward both with long-term deals.
Chase and Higgins are still teammates for now, which made them the ideal candidates to partner with Bounty for the company’s ultimate NFL wingmen campaign.
Bounty believes fans can’t watch football without wings and can’t eat wings without having Bounty to clean up as the perfect one-two punch.
As part of that campaign, any fans who spend $10 or more on Bounty paper towel products through the Super Bowl can receive $4.00 cash back via Ibotta.
“I’m excited to team up with Bounty,” Higgins said. “They’re giving us a great opportunity to do things that we haven’t done before.
He’s my wingman, he always has my back, and Bounty always has our back whenever we have messes when we’re eating wings and watching football.”
Chase added that they are the “best wingmen in the game right now.
We pick up any sticky situation that they need us for. If you need some wings cleaned up, that’s what Bounty’s for.”
