Latest contract extension doesn't bode well for Bengals

And then there were two.

On Wednesday morning, the Jaguars reached agreement on a five-year, $150M contract with Pro Bowl linebacker Josh Allen, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Allen becomes the seventh player who was tagged this offseason to sign a long-term deal, leaving two tagged players left without new contracts — Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Schefter added that Winfield and Tampa Bay "have been working towards a new deal that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid safety and there is optimism it will get done."

If that's the case, Higgins would be the only player remaining who received a tag and didn't get a long-term deal.

The 25-year-old already requested a trade in March after revealing the team had not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since then. If he becomes the only tagged player left, it wouldn't be surprising if the situation got a little bit louder in Cincinnati.

The Bengals haven't seemed interested in entertaining Higgins' trade request, especially given head coach Zac Taylor's recent comments on the situation.

"We're excited for Tee to have a great year for us," Taylor said via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "We think he's our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I've enjoyed working with Tee the last four years, I expect this year to be no different."

However, Higgins could threaten to holdout until he receives a new deal or is traded. The Bengals are hoping that doesn't happen with aspirations of contending for a Super Bowl in 2024, but it's starting to look more likely as more tagged players get new deals.

Higgins, a second-round pick by Cincinnati in 2020, is certainly deserving of one after posting 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in the first four years of his young NFL career.