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Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterDec 10, 2024, 02:05 AM ET
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
ARLINGTON, Texas — The talk from key members of the Cincinnati Bengals leading into Monday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys was about making memories and enjoying the rest of this season despite the disappointing record.
Then quarterback Joe Burrow shifted the conversation. After the team’s 27-20 win at AT&T Stadium on “Monday Night Football,” the final four games of the regular season might not be the end for Cincinnati’s offensive trio of Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Higgins has failed to reach a long-term deal with the team in each of the past two offseasons and is playing on the one-year franchise tag. But in his postgame news conference, Burrow said he believed the team will be able to find a way to keep Higgins around.
“Those discussions are ongoing,” Burrow said. “I’m confident that I think we’re going to do what it takes to bring Tee back.”
Burrow even went so far as to say that he will get personally involved in the matter.
“I know that I’m going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he,” Burrow said. “We’ve had those talks. Those are going to be offseason discussions. But I think we’re excited about that opportunity.”
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The odds to keep Higgins past this season have felt about as slim as Cincinnati’s playoff chances, even after a win that pushed the Bengals’ record to 5-8. Burrow is already making $55 million a year, and Chase, who leads the NFL in receiving yards, catches and touchdowns, is eyeing a deal that will make him the highest-paid receiver in league history.
But Burrow doubled down on his confidence in the financial logistics to keep Higgins, expressing it both in his news conference and at his locker after the game.
Higgins, Chase and Burrow were all selected by coach Zac Taylor to be the team’s pregame captains for the coin toss. That was the first time the trio, which has played together since 2021, represented the team for the toss.
No meaning was given, but in that moment, Chase said he did some long-term thinking.
“It runs in my mind,” Chase said. “During the coin toss that actually ran across my brain.”
Of the two receivers, Chase was the one who had a big game. He finished with 14 catches on 18 targets for 177 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner. With 1:01 left and the score tied, Chase caught a pass, spun loose and ran down the field for a 40-yard touchdown that sealed it.
One of the main reasons Chase was able to have a big night, Burrow said, was because Higgins was on the field.
“You feel his presence when he is out there,” Burrow said. “You feel how it affects the defense. You feel how it affects the defensive coordinator’s calls. Even if he’s not super productive on the night, teams have to worry about him and feel his presence. The defense is worried about him, and you feel that.”
Monday was one of those nights when Higgins’ production lacked. He joked that he should no longer be a game captain following his outing. He had two catches on five targets for 23 receiving yards, including a potential missed touchdown.
Higgins, a fifth-year receiver out of Clemson, appreciated the sentiment from his quarterback after the game. He also made a few things clear.
Without question, he wants a long-term deal this offseason. He’s not ruling out the possibility of returning to Cincinnati but also knows the question about whether that can truly be financially feasible can only be answered by the front office.
And when it comes to how to factor in his synergy with Burrow and Higgins with what he’s looking for financially, there is a hierarchy.
“The relationships are more important,” Higgins said in a corner of the visitors locker room. “Financially, that’s going to come.”
The soonest the Bengals and Higgins can agree to a long-term deal is whenever the season ends. While Cincinnati isn’t technically eliminated, the Bengals have a 1.9% chance of making the postseason, per ESPN Research.
And given the uncertainty surrounding his future, Higgins cherished walking onto the field with Burrow and Chase in front of a national TV audience.
“Like y’all said, this could be my last season [with the Bengals], so I definitely appreciated it for sure,” Higgins said. “I love those guys to death.”
