Six-time Pro Bowl selectee and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson has been doing his best to ease fears that the franchise could lose Tee Higgins due to an ongoing stalemate over salary demands.

Johnson has gone on record to make it known that he’s spoken directly with Higgins recently and that he’s confident a compromise will be made between both parties soon to keep the wide receiver with the Bengals in the long term. Although fans are understandably anxious about losing Higgins, Johnson suggests it’s just the “nature of the business”.

Tee Higgins Contract Issues

So, what’s the full story surrounding Higgins and the Bengals? Well, it appears that he feels somewhat aggrieved that the franchise doesn’t want to pay him $25 million per year. Reportedly, both parties have struggled to find any common ground in this regard, with the Bengals seemingly valuing the wide receiver at far below this figure.

To make matters worse, the Bengals franchise tagged Higgins earlier this year, which means he’d be playing on a one-year deal worth $21.8 million before his subsequent departure if he agrees to sign it.

For now, fans are likely to feel a little better following Johnson’s apparent insider update, but it doesn’t change the fact that a deal needs to be found by mid-July if Higgins doesn’t want to play on the franchise tag next season. It certainly feels like a case of “who blinks first?”, but a compromise from both parties feels like the likely outcome.