AFC Notes: Tee Higgins, Eddie Jackson, Lamar Jackson, Bengals, Ravens

Bengals

Bengals owner Mike Brown spoke to reporters on Monday and mentioned the salary cap when asked why the team had not signed WR Tee Higgins to a long-term extension.

“The pie is not going to grow. It’s only going to be a certain size, but when you reach a point with your quarterback that you have to pay him a big contract, that takes a disproportionate piece out of the pie,” Brown said, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s website. “Which means you have less left to pay the others. Sometimes that impacts whether you can get the others signed. You can’t just pay people willy nilly. You’re restricted on how much you can pay, and we really like Tee Higgins. We would wish to sign him, but it has to be at a certain level to fit within the cap or it can’t be done.”

Bengals HC Zac Taylor commended the way that Higgins has approached this offseason despite not having a long-term deal with Cincinnati. 

“I think that he really handled everything the right way,” Taylor said. “I’ve always said this. Tee’s personal and football character has always been what we dreamed of since we drafted him. This is the first time in his life where he’s stuck in a professional situation where it can be managed a lot of different ways, and I thought he did a great job doing it.”

We have Higgins included in our Top 100 – 2025 NFL Free Agents list.

Eddie Jackson

Baltimore’s latest signing this offseason was the addition of veteran S Eddie Jackson, who is very familiar with Ravens LB Roquan Smith from their time together in Chicago. Smith mentioned he vouched for Jackson to be signed and is excited about what he brings to the team.

“I always tell the truth,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “I have great respect for Eddie and [I’ve] known Eddie since I came into the league. Like I said earlier, I think he’s a great asset for our team. [He’s] obviously been making plays in this league for a very long time, and with the pieces that we have here, and then with his talent, and having him in his role, I think it will go well for us.”

Lamar Jackson

Ravens HC John Harbaugh has lofty expectations for QB Lamar Jackson and hopes that he goes down as the greatest quarterback of all time.

“The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League,” Harbaugh said, via PFT. “That’s the vision. It’s going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team, and by the grace of God and God’s good will. That’s how it’s going to happen. And I believe it like we’ve already seen it.”