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The Bengals and wide receiver Tee Higgins have reportedly failed to make progress in their contract extension talks, and it is unlikely that a deal will be reached before the start of the season.
According to Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, the Bengals and Higgins have never been close to reaching an agreement.
Unless there is a “shocking” turn of events within the next 24 hours, it seems fans will have to wait to see Higgins secured with a long-term extension.
Tee Higgins and the Bengals are not close/ never got close on a contract extension, per a source with knowledge of the situation
Unless something “shocking” happens in next 24 hours, a long-term extension is not expected to happen before Sunday
@Enquirer— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) September 8, 2023
In addition, Kelsey added that a source told her Higgins is simply not part of the the team’s future plans, which means there’s a chance he might be traded.
The 24-year-old wide receiver, drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, has been a key contributor to the Bengals’ offense since his arrival.
In his brief career, Higgins has hauled in an impressive 215 passes for 3,028 yards and 19 touchdowns. He is a cornerstone player for the franchise.
Higgins also recently garnered positive attention on social media when he extended his Meet-and-Greet session with fans.
Originally scheduled to conclude the event, he chose to stay until all the waiting fans had a chance to interact with him. This gesture was widely praised as a testament to his dedication to Bengals supporters.
This is pretty great: #Bengals WR Tee Higgins was scheduled to end his fan Meet & Greet at a certain time. When he stepped out to go home, he noticed a number of fans were still waiting outside.
Instead of going, he went back inside until every fan was taken care off ❤👏 pic.twitter.com/GiGlGOw426
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 2, 2023
As the clock ticks down to the start of the 2023 season, Bengals fans are left to wonder whether their beloved wide receiver will secure a long-term contract or play out the season under his current deal, with the hopes of an extension in the future.