Report: Tee Higgins could be traded if extension can't be reached

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(02-06-2023, 12:11 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: For context, Mahomes signed his extension before the 2020 season and his 2020 and 2021 cap hits (his 4th and 5th years in the league) were 5.4M and 7.4M, respectively.


For that reason, I truly believe we will have Higgins in Cincinnati for an absolute minimum of 2 more years. He is under his rookie contract in 2023 and we can franchise tag him for a relative bargain in 2024.

Mahomes listed cap hit in 2021 is misleading. He had a $21m roster bonus turned into a signing bonus before that season, allowing them to clear up $17.3m in cap space. So his original 2021 cap hit was ~$25m. Not a roster-breaking number, but much much higher than the $7.4m that he ended up with.

Theoretically they could have Higgins for 2 more years, sure. That is assuming he's willing to play in 2023 for $3m, and is then willing to play in 2024 for the franchise tag with no future guarantees or assurances. Even if he's forced to play from threat of fines or loss of a year of service, will he actually be bringing his best, or will he be making business decisions on the field? You just have to look at Jessie Bates to see that a player can still "play" for you, but not bring his A game. All the while being a bit malcontent. They have the same agent.