Aug 29, 2026 · 10 min
Tee Higgins weighs contracts, turf and Bengals title hopes
A Conversation with Bengals Star Tee Higgins on Contract Negotiations, Turf & More
Higgins connects a landmark contract with the physical and institutional pressures shaping professional and college football.
- 1Higgins reflects on playing under the franchise tag before securing a four-year, $150 million Bengals extension.
- 2He links Cincinnati’s championship hopes to a healthy Joe Burrow and a stable core with Ja’Marr Chase.
- 3Higgins favors the current NFL schedule and natural grass, while accepting an 18th game if players receive more pay.
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Higgins explains how playing under the franchise tag and overcoming injury preceded his four-year, $150 million extension.
The brief
Tee Higgins opens with the business of presentation, describing his Express partnership, work with Tinashe and the confidence he draws from pregame tunnel fits.
The conversation turns to Cincinnati’s ambitions: Higgins sees a healthy Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and his own new four-year, $150 million deal as a foundation for a championship push.
Higgins revisits playing under the franchise tag, recovering from injury and navigating negotiations, then offers younger players a perspective shaped by that experience.
At Clemson, Higgins remains connected and sometimes helps with recruiting, but says the transfer portal and NIL have made college football markedly different from his playing days.
He prefers the NFL’s current schedule but would accept an 18th game for higher pay, and argues natural grass is safer and easier on players’ bodies.
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