The contract drama is finally over, with Higgins signing a four-year, $115 million deal in March after playing out 2024 on a franchise tag. His tag season showed both the good and the bad, highlighted by career-best marks for PPR scoring average (18.7), touchdowns (10), catches per game (6.1) and targets per game (9.1). The only bad part was missing five games for a second straight year, again due to lower-body soft-tissue injuries. Unlike in 2023, however, Higgins was almost always at full strength when he took the field, not limping around or handling limited snap counts. His per-route production was in line with numbers from 2021 and 2022, with the per-game numbers getting a big boost because Joe Burrow attempted a league-high 652 passes while trying to keep pace with all the points piled up against Cincinnati's dreadful defense. The Bengals don't want to repeat that formula, but they ultimately may have to, with big contracts for Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and TE Mike Gesicki being the headlines of an otherwise quiet offseason. The talent and money in Cincinnati remain overwhelmingly on the offensive side of the ball, which means Higgins should stay busy and productive if his troublesome hamstrings hold up for most of the year.
