Tee Higgins playing “second fiddle” is better than being top dog in “s***tvile, USA,” NFL analyst claims

Tee Higgins might be the biggest winner of the offseason. In January, he had reason to prepare to move. However, it appeared that he was stuck in Cincinnati with no promises about the future but Higgins is now riding high on a $115 million deal (Spotrac) that doesn't expire until the end of the 2028 season.

Before the extension, some were calling for him to be a top receiver elsewhere. On Wednesday's edition of "Pro Football Talk," NFL analyst Chris Simms suggested that Higgins ultimately got the better deal in the end by staying with the Bengals.

"I think his ability to check his ego at the door, about all the things you talked about with him wanting to be there and being able to go 'All right, I'll be second fiddle," Simms said (04:44). "'But being second fiddle at an awesome place where we could succeed and I wanted to be here, is better than being first fiddle in s***tville USA, somewhere else.'"

With the contract locking Higgins up until the age of 30, there might not be a chance to see how dominant of a top wide receiver he could be. However, there might be brief windows if something happens to Ja'Marr Chase, but that is far from guaranteed.

Where Tee Higgins could potentially have ended up without Bengals deal

Tee Higgins at Bengals at Steelers - Source: Getty

The Cincinnati Bengals WR may never play for another team in his NFL career. However, if Tee Higgins was going to leave, this offseason could've been the perfect time as there were plenty of landing spots that could use a new top WR.

One landing spot was the New England Patriots, who needed an outside veteran. It could be argued that the team still needs one.

Another likely perfect landing spot was the Buffalo Bills. The entire story of the Bills' 2024 season was whether Josh Allen could succeed without Stefon Diggs. Allen did, but adding Higgins to sprinkle on top would have been as much as Higgins and the Bills might have hoped for.

The LA Chargers also may have held a competition to see if Higgins could supplant Ladd McConkey. It wouldn't have been a surefire starting role, but there seemingly was a possibility.