The Cincinnati Bengals are making it clear that they want Tee Higgins back in the fold next season.

The 33rd overall pick in 2020, Higgins will be a free agent this offseason.

The Bengals have some options to retain the wide receiver -- extend him on a long-term deal, franchise tag him for roughly $22 million in 2024, tag and trade him, or simply let him walk in free agency to create cap space.

"We'll see what happens this year," executive Duke Tobin said. "I want Tee Higgins back. Everyone on our team would like to have Tee Higgins back. Again, there's one pie and how big of a slice that takes and what else we can't do because of it, we'll have to determine and we'll see."

Odell Beckham, Jr. says his biggest accomplishment with the Baltimore Ravens this season was showing that he still has it.

Beckham, who hits the free agent market yet again, had 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. He missed the entire 2022 season.

"To me, if there is anything I felt about myself -- regardless of anybody's opinion or anything like that -- is that I know that I can still play football, and I know that I still have [stuff] in the tank," Beckham said.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry wants to run it back next season.

Berry said he expects Nick Chubb to be on the roster in 2024 and would "absolutely love" to have Joe Flacco return as well.

"I want to bring all of our good players back," he said, "but there are constraints."

Flacco will be a free agent again, and the Browns are counting on Deshaun Watson to be cleared this spring from surgery on his throwing shoulder. But Berry wouldn't rule out the possibility of re-signing Flacco to back up Watson.

"Joe, he played winning football for us," Berry said. "He did a great job of coming in and really playing at a high level. ... I believe that backup quarterback really is a top-30 position on the roster."

The Detroit Lions have agreed to sign Zach Ertz to their practice squad and could be elevated for the NFC Championship Game.

Ertz was released by the Arizona Cardinals in November. 

Steve Heiden, the Lions' tight ends coach, was Ertz's position coach with the Cardinals in 2021 and '22.

The Lions lost Brock Wright in the Divisional Round, which leaves Sam LaPorta as the only healthy tight end on the roster.

Todd Bowles says Baker Mayfield has earned the right to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.

Mayfield, who was on a one-year deal, led the Buccaneers to a Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles before falling to the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon.

"He most definitely has," Bowles said of Mayfield playing well enough to return. "Obviously, it's too early to talk about that and business is business, but Baker had a hell of a year. We love him. The guys love him. And we'll see what the future holds."

Kirk Cousins is set to hit free agency in March, which means he may be playing for a new coach in 2024.

Bill Belichick, who parted ways with the New England Patriots last week, has been interviewing for jobs.

Cousins said he'd certainly be interested in playing for Belichick.

"I'm not going to turn down an opportunity to play with a future Hall of Fame coach, but we'll have to see where March leads," Cousins said. "It's just a lot of unknowns right now."

The San Francisco 49ers pursued Tom Brady during the 2023 offseason. Brady retired again after the 2022 season as his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to an obvious end.

Kyle Shanahan had interest in pursuing Brady as Brock Purdy was coming off his UCL injury in his right elbow.

Shanahan told Purdy that he would be the starting quarterback unless Brady wanted to join the 49ers.

"That meant so much to me," Purdy said. "I remember him saying, if we can get Tom Brady, we're going to try to get him. And I was like, 'Yeah, he's the GOAT. I get it.' But something deep down inside me was sort of like, 'Dude, I just showed you that I can play well in this system. And we were one game away from the Super Bowl.' ... More than anything, I was like, 'OK, now let's go.'"

The Miami Dolphins want Tua Tagovailoa to be their quarterback for the long haul.

General manager Chris Grier said while the two sides tabled contract negotiations during the regular season, they will intensify this offseason as Tagovailoa enters the final year of his rookie deal.

"We've stayed in touch with his agent, had good conversations throughout the year," Grier said. "Never talked about money or anything, just good conversations about where he is. ... The goal is to have him here long term, playing at a high level. That's always the goal.

"We'll communicate with him through the offseason and like we've always said in the past, you guys know me, we don't really talk to the media through all that stuff. So, we'll keep those talks internal and with his reps."

The Denver Broncos are leaving the door open for Russell Wilson to return in 2024.

Broncos owner Greg Penner, general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton all spoke to the media on Tuesday.

Payton benched Wilson for the final two games of the season. The quarterback had said he was asked to make an adjustment to his contract earlier in the season and was told he would be benched if he did not.

Payton said that he met with Wilson for 30 minutes Monday and a scenario where Wilson would return was among the topics discussed but also that any decision would be made in a timely fashion.

"I told him, 'Look, I don't think it's going to be a long, drawn-out process,' but it hasn't been decided relative to what our plans are," Payton said. "As soon as we know something certainly, he would be the first to know."

Later, Payton was asked whether the discussion did formally include a path where Wilson returns.

"Yeah, listen, otherwise it would have been like 'hey, goodbye,'" Payton said. "... We'll look at all the scenarios and try to do what's best for the Broncos. But communication will be important, and, yeah, that final decision hasn't been made."

Denver has missed the playoffs in eight straight seasons.

Speaking to the media for the first time since going on injured reserve in November, Joe Burrow offered support for Tee Higgins to return in 2024.

Higgins, a fellow member of Burrow's 2020 draft class, is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

"It's no secret, our relationship," Burrow said. "I expect Tee to be back. I think that's the sentiment in the locker room. We all want Tee back.

"We know what kind of player he is. We know what kind of person he is. He's what being a Bengal is all about."

The Bengals will have to make contract decisions on all three starting receivers. Tyler Boyd is at the end of the contract he signed in 2019. Ja'Marr Chase, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons, is eligible for an extension.

Higgins could also receive a new deal. The window for the Bengals to potentially give Higgins the franchise tag runs from Feb. 20 to March 5.