Tee Higgins will be a man in demand if the Cincinnati Bengals let him test free agency. That doesn't bode well for the Carolina Panthers' chances of making a bold bid for the gifted wide receiver.
Higgins is a potential No. 1 wideout only just entering his prime. Players like this rarely become available on the open market. This is the sort of game-changing presence that could help quarterback Bryce Young take the next step after his remarkable turnaround over the second half of 2024.
If Joe Burrow has anything to do with it, Higgins will be going nowhere. The quarterback put public pressure on the Bengals to keep the core pieces intact on long-term deals. That also includes edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Triple Crown winner Ja'Marr Chase. The former No. 1 pick is willing to restructure his contract to make this happen, but owner Mike Brown isn't exactly known for overspending.
The former Clemson star knows his worth. Higgins knows that he's going to get a huge payday from somewhere if he cannot reach a compromise with the Bengals. This is only going to raise his demands when a bidding war inevitably begins.
Tee Higgins is a luxury the Carolina Panthers cannot afford this offseason
This was a topic discussed by Marcus Mosher from The 33rd Team. The analyst projected Higgins to get somewhere in the region of $33 million per year on his next deal. That all but rules the Panthers out of the running considering their current financial constraints.
"[Tee] Higgins isn’t in the tier of Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb, but none of those players hit the open market, either. With several teams needing a No. 1 receiver, we could see a massive bidding war for Higgins’ services that make him one of the league's highest-paid receivers. Because of his age (26) and lack of viable receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft, we could see as many as a dozen teams interested in Higgins this offseason. Look for Higgins to be the second-highest-paid free agent this offseason, should he hit the market."Marcus Mosher
The Panthers have just $20.32 million in salary-cap space with 57 players under contract. That will increase once the necessary moves are made, but it makes landing Higgins difficult.
Of course, there are ways to manipulate the cap. Backloading the contract and structuring it in a way that doesn't put too much on the 2025 salary increases Carolina's hopes, but the chances are highly unlikely all the same.
This bears more significance when one considers the defensive problems. Dan Morgan needs to focus his substantial investments on rectifying Ejiro Evero's unit after a historically bad campaign in 2024. Spending lavish sums on Higgins is a luxury the Panthers can't afford right now.
Morgan will have contingency plans in place. There's a collaborative approach and a long-term plan for the future. Whether that includes Higgins remains to be seen, but it does seem highly unlikely all things considered.
Cincinnati needs to work something out with Higgins. The last thing they want is for Burrow to be disgruntled and disillusioned by the franchise's direction. That's only going to hurt their chances of maximizing the quarterback's prime.
If this scenario becomes reality, it won't just be the Panthers out of luck. It'll be everybody.