Present for voluntary workouts

Higgins took part in the Bengals' voluntary offseason workout Wednesday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Prominent players in contract years often skip the voluntary portions of offseason programs and sometimes the mandatory parts as well. Higgins' decision to do otherwise in the final year of his rookie deal suggests he's optimistic about signing an extension or doesn't mind playing out the season without one. He's been mentioned in trade rumors for a while due to the expectation of quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja'Marr Chase signing extensions that take up a big chunk of Cincinnati's budget, but it wouldn't be all that complicated for the Bengals to keep all three players, especially if they're willing to backload the cap hits and/or make sacrifices on the defensive side of the ball.