Bengals’ Tyler Boyd says teammate Tee Higgins ‘got the short end of the stick’ regarding his expiring contract

Joe Burrow’s extension is finally done, but that doesn’t mean that the Cincinnati Bengals are out of the woods as far as contracts are concerned. 

With Burrow signed, the Bengals’ focus will now be on locking up receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase still has two years left on his rookie deal, while Higgins was hoping to receive an extension this summer as he is going into the final year of his rookie contract. Higgins’ current situation does not sit well with Tyler Boyd, the Bengals’ veteran wideout and Higgins’ teammate since 2020. 

“He got the short end of the stick,” Boyd said of Higgins, via Cincinnati.com. “He’s worth a lot. They have to come up with some type of agreement. I hope they get something done over the next couple weeks.”

While Chase is the Bengals’ top wideout, Higgins has become arguably the best No. 2 receiver in the NFL. He’s had over 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons and has been one of the main reasons for the Bengals’ immense success over that span. 

Given the Bengals’ other contractural priorities, rumblings surfaced this offseason about Higgins possibly being on the trading block. Those rumors were emphatically shot down by Bengals general manager Duke Tobin during the NFL Combine. 

For his part, Higgins has said that he wants to remain in Cincinnati for the rest of his career. That won’t be easy, however, as his current projected market value is a four-year deal that would pay him $22.6 million annually, according to Spotrac. Chase’s projected market value calls for him to make just under $25 million annually. Keeping both players at that price will be challenging to say the least. 

Given his market value, Higgins is slated to play the 2023 season on a dramatically reduced rate. He has a base salary of just under $3 million and has a cap hit of $3.96 million. 

Fortunately for Higgins, it seems as if the Bengals are not closing themselves off from continuing contract talks with players once the regular season begins. Talks would have continued with Burrow if his deal had not gotten done prior to Sunday’s road game in Cleveland. But the Bengals clearly prioritized Burrow’s contract and wanted to get it done sooner rather than later. The question is whether or not they have a similar desire to get something done with Higgins. 

Boyd is certainly hoping so, as the Bengals continue to work through the obstacles that come with keeping a title-contending team together. 

“It relieves stress,” Boyd said of having a new contract, “and has you more comfortable out there.”