Two cornerstone pieces have a murky future beyond 2024.
The Cincinnati Bengals are finally starting to hit their stride, and it’s no surprise to see that two big pieces in that have been Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson.
After an injury-plagued 2023, Higgins is back to proving he’s one of the best wide receivers in football, while Hendrickson continues to be one of the league’s best pass-rushers.
However, their future beyond 2024 is a bit murky.
Higgins is playing under the franchise tag, and there’s always a chance the Bengals tag him again next year.
Hendrickson, who previously demanded a trade or threatened to retire, will have one year left on his deal in 2025. You have to wonder if he’ll play for the Bengals in 2025 if a new deal isn’t reached.
Let’s say the Bengals manage to sign one of them to a long-term extension next offseason. Who would your pick be?
Higgins seems like the easy answer and probably would be if he was the clear-cut No. 1 receiver and is only 25. However, he’d still be a No. 2 receiver behind Ja’Marr Chase, who the team will break its back to keep.
Hendrickson, while 29, is also the Bengals’ best defensive player by a pretty wide margin. We’ve seen the Bengals offense have success without Higgins. But their already-flimsy defense would be absolutely crippled without Hendrickson. We’re talking potentially worst in the NFL bad.
So, if it came down to it, who would you pick to remain in Cincinnati long-term? Sound off in the poll below and in the comments section!
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