Tee Higgins has 4-word message for bettors after 2-reception outing vs. Cowboys on MNF
Tee Higgins entered the 2024 season with a point to prove. The wide receiver had the franchise tag applied by the Cincinnati Bengals, keeping him on the team for one more year while he does not sign a contract extension.
His efforts, however, have not gone to plan so far. He missed many games with hamstring and quad injuries, with just 581 receiving yards and five touchdowns over eight games. He's firmly expected to be the best-paid wide receiver in the free agent market, but is not making a case for a strong contract.
On Monday's exhibition against the Dallas Cowboys, Higgins once again had a quiet performance. He had just two receptions for 23 yards, while quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns in total. But the wide receiver made a light-hearted joke about the situation, knowing that his social media mentions would explode after this game:
Even if he did not have the best of the games, the Bengals snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating the Dallas Cowboys away from home with a 27-20 score. Higgins' teammate Ja'Marr Chase was the star of the night, with 14 catches, 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Joe Burrow wants to keep Tee Higgins in Cincinnati
The wide receiver got himself a fantastic endorsement after the game, though. During the postgame press conference, Burrow firmly stated that he wanted the team to keep him, Chase and Higgins together:
"Those discussions are ongoing. I am confident we are going to be able to do what it takes to bring Tee back. That I’m going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he. We’ve had those talks. Those are going to be offseason discussions but I think we are excited about that opportunity."
Both sides could not come to an agreement prior to 2024, which led to the wide receiver making his frustrations clear of having to play under the franchise tag. Since reapplying the tag is nearly impossible due to the price, the only way for the trio to stay together is if the Bengals open the checkbook and extend Tee.