Bengals Analysis: Are Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase Right in Their Push to Keep Tee Higgins?

The Bengals used the franchise tag on Higgins last season. He's set to become a free agent in March.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) talks with wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) after a play as the punting team takes the field in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers led 24-6 at halftime. / © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Both Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase have made it clear they want Tee Higgins in Cincinnati long-term.

Burrow said keeping Higgins was a "need" and that he would be "very disappointed" if they didn't re-sign the 25-year-old to a long-term contract.

It's also worth noting that Higgins parted ways with his agent David Mulugheta.

That's led to plenty of questions. Will they bring Higgins back? Will the Bengals' front office listen to Burrow?

Let's go through each question and answer them objectively.

Is it in the Bengals' best interest to bring Higgins back? Does it make sense? Is it their best use of resources in their quest to win their first Super Bowl?

I'd give the same answer to all three off those questions: yes.

Yes, the Bengals are much better with Higgins than without him. There's a reason teams like the Steelers, Patriots, and Jaguars are hoping he hits free agency this offseason. There's a reason Mulugheta (his former agent) was a tough negotiator and was unhappy on the franchise tag.

He knew there was a real market for Higgins.

So we know Higgins is talented, but does it make sense for a team that has Burrow and Chase to keep Higgins?

The answer is also yes.

He's the fourth-best player on the Bengals' roster and he's only 25-years-old. Yes, he's had some injuries, but he's played in at least 12 games in his first four seasons and is on track to do that for a fifth time this year.

Letting a few soft tissue injuries get in the way of keeping your fourth-best player seems a but extreme. DJ Reader missed time with injuries and was older than Higgins. Don't we all agree it would've been smart to retain him last offseason?

Letting a star player leave in his prime rarely works out. It's hard to replace those guys.

Think about what the Bengals have done at safety since they realized they wouldn't be signing Jessie Bates to a long-term contract.

They drafted Dax Hill in the first round (31st overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft. They followed that up by trading up for Tycen Anderson in the fifth round. They signed Nick Scott and drafted Jordan Battle in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Then, they went out and signed Geno Stone and Vonn Bell in free agency.

They're still worse off at safety than they would've been had they signed Bates to a long-term deal and drafted one of Hill, Anderson or Battle or Hill to replace Bell.

The experiment didn't work.

Everyone is concerned about how they're going to pay Burrow, Chase and Higgins.

The irony is they can't afford another experiment at wide receiver. How's Jermaine Burton working out? If Higgins signs elsewhere, then Burrow has two trustworthy options at receiver next season: Chase and Andrei Iosivas.

Keeping Higgins isn't about cap space or actual cash.

The Bengals have plenty of money and cap room. They can clear even more space by restructuring Burrow's contract this offseason. He sounds more than willing to help them out.

Can the Bengals still bolster their defense, interior offensive line and any other needs if they re-sign Higgins and Chase?

The answer has always been yes.

The Bengals are currently projected to have $62.7 million in cap space to work with in March. That doesn't include restructuring Burrow's contract or possible cuts.

Chase is already on the books for close to $22 million in cash and cap room since they exercised his fifth-year option last offseason. That number will rise some after an extension, but it won't double or triple. There's no doubt that they'll give him a hefty signing bonus.

The point is they're already paying Chase a significant salary and have planned for that. Keeping Higgins won't prevent them from adding a veteran guard: they never spend huge money on the guard position any way. The same goes for tight end.

"But James, What about the defense?"

What about it?

The Bengals will still have the room to go after the next Trey Hendrickson or DJ Reader in free agency.

They gave Hendrickson a four-year, $60 million contract. Reader got four-years, $53 million.

They may not want to swim in the Jevon Holland waters—the Miami safety is expected to be one of the top free agents on the market. But if that's the case, it'll be less about Higgins and more about their philosophy.

Moving on from Higgins just opens up another major hole for a team that has plenty to needs. If Higgins isn't on this roster on March 15, wide receiver will instantly become the biggest need and a huge talking point leading into the 2025 NFL Draft.

Instead, the Bengals can keep arguably the best free agent on the market and build around a trio of Burrow, Chase and Higgins.

The plan makes sense.

Opponents certainly hate the idea of having to game plan for the Bengals' Big Three.

Yes, that's their new nickname. We'll see if it sticks.

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