The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t giving up on the 2023 season just yet, but the national perspective has started to look toward the future with so many teams out of the running already.
And looking ahead, it’s pretty clear that the Bengals will again have one of the offseason’s top overall free agents.
One year removed from Jessie Bates being a top free agent, wide receiver Tee Higgins will top the market at his position.
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger agrees in his latest free agency look-ahead, which ranks the wideouts as so:
- Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
- Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts
- Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
- Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
- Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals
- Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills
- Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
- D.J. Chark, Carolina Panthers
We’ll see just how many of those names make it to free agency, including Higgins. The Bengals could always opt to use the franchise tag to prevent that.
While it won’t stop needy teams from paying up big, Higgins has had a rough contract year while being limited to just seven games due to a fractured rib and later a hamstring injury suffered in practice.
