NFL Rumors: Comparable Contracts Tee Higgins Could Get In Free Agency Revealed

February 03, 2025

Tee Higgins is expected to land a lucrative contract this offseason, with multiple league insiders projecting a deal worth at least $30 million per year. 

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that team executives believe Higgins’ value will surpass DeVonta Smith’s three-year, $75 million extension with the Eagles. 

Some even compare his market to Tyreek Hill’s $30 million annual average value (AAV) or CeeDee Lamb’s anticipated contract. 

ESPN’s Dan Graziano spoke to executives and cap experts who see Higgins securing a four-year, $114 million deal with $70 million guaranteed, putting him among the highest-paid receivers in the league.

Higgins’ projected deal would place him in the same tier as A.J. Brown (four years, $100 million) and D.K. Metcalf (three years, $72 million). 

His ability to perform as a No. 1-caliber receiver, even alongside Ja’Marr Chase in Cincinnati, makes him an extremely attractive free-agent target for teams in need of top-end receiving talent. 

The Bengals could use the franchise tag again at $26 million, but with Chase due for a massive extension, it’s unlikely they commit significant resources to two receivers. 

“If he’s your big-ticket item and you want to sign a left tackle and a defensive player, you’re talking about spending $150-plus million in guaranteed money,” NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry noted.

While Higgins has expressed interest in staying with the Bengals, financial realities may lead him elsewhere. 

The New England Patriots have been linked as a suitor, but their rebuilding situation may require them to pay a premium. Teams looking for a proven playmaker will weigh his injury history—he has missed 10 games over the past two seasons—but his production when healthy makes him one of the top targets this offseason.

“He’ll probably have an argument to be even a shade more than $30 million per year,” Perry added, which could push his deal into the range of the league’s highest-paid receivers.

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