CINCINNATI — The throw from quarterback Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins was poised to grow to be a franchise-defining play for the Bengals.
In Tremendous Bowl LVI in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 13, 2022, Burrow heaved the ball towards Higgins, considered one of his prime large receivers. Higgins turned, leaped, caught the cross and bumped into the top zone for a 75-yard landing and a 17-13 lead early within the third quarter. It was the second TD for Higgins, who had 100 yards on 4 receptions.
The Rams in the end received 23-20 to maintain Cincinnati ready for its first Lombardi Trophy. However a play that serves as a footnote is a reminder of what’s attainable — no less than for yet one more season.
Between the common season and playoffs, Higgins and teammate Ja’Marr Chase have mixed for 51 landing catches and seven,399 receiving yards on passes from Burrow. However after Monday, this might be the final yr Burrow could have this 1-2 mixture. Higgins and the Bengals failed to achieve an settlement on a long-term deal by Monday night, which implies Higgins will play 2024 on the franchise tag earlier than coming into free company.
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Even when it’s going to price Cincinnati $21.8 million to have Higgins for only a yr, it is a worth the Bengals felt was price investing to maintain their passing trio collectively for slightly bit longer.
“He is one of many prime receivers on this league,” coach Zac Taylor stated on the NFL scouting mix earlier this yr. “We do not need that simply strolling out of the constructing.
“So while you get a possibility to place a tag on him and hold him within the constructing and let him play no less than one other yr for us, I believe that is crucial.”
Higgins has been a large a part of Cincinnati’s rebuild beneath Taylor. When the Bengals drafted Burrow with the primary total choose in 2020, they used their subsequent choose to take Higgins on the prime of the second spherical. One yr later, Cincinnati added Chase, Burrow’s former teammate at LSU.
These three picks paved the way in which for probably the greatest runs in franchise historical past. In 2021 and 2022, Cincinnati received the AFC North and reached the convention championship sport in every of these playoff runs, splitting video games in opposition to Kansas Metropolis. Chase (3 occasions) and Burrow (1 time) have every made the Professional Bowl, whereas Higgins has remained productive when wholesome.
Nonetheless, sustaining that success comes at a steep price. At $55 million yearly, Burrow is the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past. Chase is in line for a mammoth extension as nicely. Regardless of the dearth of accolades, Higgins’ manufacturing has additionally warranted a big payday.
That is what makes the state of affairs so precarious. Cincinnati is susceptible to tying up important chunks of its wage cap in three gamers. A precedent was set by the Philadelphia Eagles, who’ve given extensions to a quarterback (Jalen Hurts) and two receivers (A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith) that may take up greater than 18% of their cap house in 2025, in response to knowledge from OverTheCap.
The Bengals may tag Higgins for a second straight yr, however that may be back-to-back years of paying a premium, absolutely assured wage.
“You have to be actually even handed along with your cash,” Bengals de facto common supervisor Duke Tobin stated on the mix. “You have to decide what’s wanted and what’s simply wished. Like I’ve stated earlier than, it is a finite pie, and we slice it up a whole lot of alternative ways.”
The numbers present how efficient Cincinnati’s offense is when Burrow has Chase and Higgins at his disposal. When all three gamers have been on the sector on the identical time through the common season, Cincinnati averages 5.8 yards per play, in response to ESPN Stats & Info. To place that in perspective, the San Francisco 49ers lead the NFL in that class throughout that span at 6.2 yards per play.
After the Bengals ended 2023 by lacking the playoffs for the primary time since Burrow and Higgins’ rookie season, Burrow emphasised Higgins’ significance to Cincinnati’s success.
“He is a giant a part of what we have accomplished right here,” Burrow stated in January.
When the Bengals begin coaching camp subsequent Wednesday, it’s going to mark the beginning of probably the final run of Burrow, Chase and Higgins all in the identical offense. It is a possibility Cincinnati should maximize if the trio desires one other crack at main the Bengals again to the Tremendous Bowl.
