The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of work to do this offseason.

After a disappointing 9–8 finish to their 2024 campaign, the Bengals need to figure out new contracts with several of their core players to keep the band together. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been public about his desire to see all three of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson return to the team.

Of the trio, a deal with Higgins may prove the most difficult to secure. The Bengals have already assured Chase that he will eventually be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, but given what that deal is going to cost, it’s possible Cincinnati might not be keen to pay Higgins top-rate receiver money as the team’s second option.

On Tuesday, Higgins made a post on social media that could indicate the two sides are currently pretty far apart. The post in question was a single emoji—a cap.

For those blessedly offline, “cap” is slang for “lying,” and it’s possible that Higgins’s tweet was made in reference to comments made by team executives earlier in the day.

While there were some reports that the Bengals planned to franchise tag Higgins for a second straight year, director of player personnel Duke Tobin told reporters on Tuesday that the plan was to get a long-term deal done with the receiver.

"I think Tee Higgins is a fantastic football player and I want him on my football team," the executive said while speaking with media at the 2025 NFL scouting combine. "Whenever I'm in charge of a football team, I want Tee Higgins. So I'm gonna do what I can to get Tee Higgins."

"Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement," Tobin continued. "Always has been, it continues to be, and we'll work hard to get that done."

It’s possible that Higgins’s tweet was made in response to these comments, or the stories that sprouted from them—a way of him getting his side of the story out there without expressly saying anything.

That said, we can never know what’s in the true heart of a poster. Maybe he just got a new hat he’s excited about.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tee Higgins Shares Cryptic Tweet As Contract Drama With Bengals Continues.