The Cincinnati Bengals held their first OTA practice without star wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, yet head coach Zac Taylor remained calm about the situation.
Both Higgins and Chase skipped the team drills as they push for better contracts. Higgins, who was hit with the franchise tag in February, hasn't signed it yet, while Chase is eyeing a lucrative deal as he approaches the end of his rookie contract.
Addressing the media, Taylor seemed unfazed by their absence, emphasizing that both players were still preparing offsite. "[They] are still working hard elsewhere, and they'll be back at the right times," he commented.
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"And the beauty is we know those guys, we know what they're about and that they'll be ready and focused when it's time to come back."
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Higgins, picked 33rd overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, has proven himself as a dependable option for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, amassing 257 catches, 3,694 yards, and 24 touchdowns in 58 games.
Despite rumors in March suggesting Higgins wanted out of Cincinnati, he has recently expressed his desire to remain with the Bengals and secure a long-term contract.
Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are both holding out for long-term contracts (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)“As far as coming back, I would love to come back,” Higgins said on the latest episode of the I Am Athlete podcast. “I grew as a man in the past four years here. Grew as a player, got good new friendships. Great relationships with people not in the facility, in the City of Cincinnati, the fans are great. So I would definitely love to be here.”
The Bengals and Higgins have a deadline of July 15 to secure a long-term contract. If they fail to reach an agreement by then, Higgins will have to play the 2024 season under a one-year, $21.8 million contract.
When asked about the possibility of being traded by the Bengals, Higgins admitted: "It would be bittersweet. I would definitely love to be here [in Cincinnati], but if that's not the situation, then that's not the situation."
Similarly, Chase is eyeing a hefty payday from the Bengals. Although he is under contract through 2025 after Cincinnati activated his fifth-year option, he seems increasingly eager for a new deal.
After racking up over 1,000 receiving yards for three consecutive seasons, Chase is poised to land one of the most lucrative contracts for a wide receiver in the NFL. Recent hefty extensions given to Miami Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle (three-year, $84.75 million), Detroit Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown (four-year, $120 million), and Philadelphia Eagles' A. J. Brown (three-year, $96 million) have only escalated his expected earnings.
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