The saga between the Cincinnati Bengals and Tee Higgins is quickly adding new layers.
After Week 14, Joe Burrow stunned many by proclaiming that he’s confident Higgins will be back with the team next year. It was safe to view that as him applying very public pressure on the front office (or he knows something everyone else doesn’t).
A few days later, ESPN’s Dan Graziano tacked on a new detail about something very notable — Higgins might be changing agents:
There are rumblings that Higgins is pondering an agent change (he’s no longer listed with his previous agent on the official NFLPA site, but he’s also not yet listed with a new one), which sometimes indicates a change in the player’s negotiating stance. And Burrow’s confidence shouldn’t be ignored completely, as he’s not the type to just say things like that off the cuff. I don’t know how this shakes out. I still think it makes more sense for the Bengals to pay Chase, even if that means letting Higgins walk. But the longer it goes without a new deal for Chase, the more expensive the price tag gets.
What does a possible agent change mean for Higgins? Anything?
As Graziano notes, sometimes these things happen due to a change in a “negotiating stance.” With Higgins coming off a franchise tag, there’s potentially a chance he wants to try a new track after talks last offseason didn’t work out.
It’s all speculation, of course. Since Higgins is on the franchise tag, the Bengals aren’t permitted to sign him to an extension until after the season ends.
But Burrow’s comments and rumors of a possible agent change? The old adage about smoke and fire comes to mind. The Higgins saga sure feels like it’s taking a turn in an unexpected direction.
