Steelers' AFC North Rival Cincinnati Bengals Have An Important Wide Receiver Who Is Reportedly Not In Their Future Plans

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2023 season looking to win the AFC North title for the first time since 2020. The two seasons after that, the Cincinnati Bengals claimed the crown and went on to play in two consecutive AFC Championship games. The divisional foe doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon as long as Joe Burrow is at quarterback. He signed a five-year $275 million extension prior to the season beginning and his guaranteed $219 million is the most in NFL history. He will continue to wreak havoc on the division for years to come.

The Steelers will take on the Bengals in Weeks 12 and 16 in 2023 after losing both three of the last four contests against them. It is no easy task to contain Burrow and the weapons he has at his disposal in Cincinnati. Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Mixon and Tee Higgins are his top three go-to-guys and are a matchup nightmare for any opposing defense. 

Chase is probably next in line for a large contract extension, but that is likely to come in the 2024 offseason. Many believed that it would be a goal to get Higgins signed prior to the 2023 regular season, but according to a recent report, the team and wide receiver are nowhere close and it's unlikely that he will be playing with the Bengals past 2023.

Steelers May Get Out of Facing Higgins Twice A Season In 2024

Higgins has 27 catches for 435 yards and two scores against the Steelers in his career (five games). He is a very good complement to Chase in the receiving game and it would be a huge blow for him to depart in free agency. That looks to be the case however, according to Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer. 

The former Clemson Tiger may be looking for a new home when the 2023 campaign ends.

Conway wrote that the franchise tag is always a potential option, but it's more likely that the two sides part ways and Higgins will end up playing in a different colored jersey in 2024.

"The former second-round pick out of Clemson is not believed to be in the Bengals’ future plans. Higgins was offered a contract extension this offseason, but it didn’t meet what Higgins is expecting to get on the open market. Cincinnati’s front office will have the option to apply the franchise tag next offseason on Higgins to keep him around for one more season, but that doesn’t seem likely."

Higgins just entered his fourth season with the Bengals and including Week 1 of 2023, he had 215 receptions for 3,028 yards and 19 touchdowns. Those are some pretty solid numbers for a guy who has taken a backseat to Chase since he came to town in 2021. It will be an extremely important year for Higgins as he looks to prove his worth to an entire league of general managers who may be interested in his services in 2024.

There's no doubting that Higgins moving out of the division would benefit the Steelers. He and Burrow have a solid connection and the duo has had successful against Pittsburgh in recent years. Time will tell and the Bengals could certainly slap him with the franchise tag in the hopes of trading him, but all signs point to this being his last in Cincinnati.

Do you think it benefits the Steelers to have Higgins out of the Bengals offense? Let us know in the comments below!

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