As the 2024 NFL season reaches its midpoint, many are looking ahead to the future. ESPN+ recently released a ranking of the 2025 NFL free agency class, highlighting players who will be free agents once this season concludes. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins topped the list.

“Just entering his prime playing years, Higgins is our top free agent for the 2025 class at the moment,” wrote Matt Bowen. “At 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, he has the ability to win on the boundary or create matchups from inside alignments. And despite playing alongside Ja’Marr Chase in Cincinnati, Higgins has the makeup of a No. 1 receiver. Injuries have limited Higgins to five games this season, but he still has 29 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns.”

Bengals fans have long viewed Higgins as a true WR1, who just happens to share the field with a top-three wide receiver. Despite his injury history, Higgins has shown enough over the last three and a half seasons to prove he could be a major asset to any team in need of help at the position.

The Bengals signaled their intention to use the franchise tag on Higgins in 2024 rather than pursuing a long-term extension. Jeremy Fowler believes this will be Higgins’ final season in Cincinnati.

“There’s little to no chance Higgins is in Cincinnati beyond 2024,” he wrote. “People I’ve talked to feel pretty strongly about that, barring a major surprise. A second franchise tag would cost the Bengals around $26.2 million on a one-year rental. Higgins wanted out of Cincinnati last offseason, and the Bengals will likely allocate resources for a Chase contract. Higgins will have a strong market because of the number of receiver-needy teams and his WR1 traits.”

The Bengals began extension negotiations with Chase this offseason, though reports suggest they were not earnest in their approach. If the front office isn’t fully committed to locking up Chase, the prospect of keeping both wide receivers in Cincinnati seems unlikely, especially as the Bengals offense has been moving the ball and scoring over 30 points per game even with Higgins sidelined due to a quad injury.

With Joe Burrow now signed and Chase likely next, there may be no room in the budget for another offensive weapon of Higgins’ caliber.