The Arizona Cardinals are keeping Elijah Higgins alongside Trey McBride, agreeing to a three-year extension that carries a reported maximum value of $26.8 million.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the financial terms Friday. The agreement runs through the 2029 season.
Cardinals and Elijah Higgins have reached an agreement on a three-year extension worth up to $26.8 million, per @RapSheet and me. The deal ties him to Arizona through 2029 and was finished off today by Sam Mirza, Derek Hawkridge and Chris Cabott of @EquitySports. pic.twitter.com/ZAx4ONtDDW
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2026
Higgins had been headed toward free agency after this season. His extension preserves a different kind of contribution at a position where McBride commands much of the attention: blocking, pass protection and the ability to keep multiple tight ends on the field.
The reported figure is an “up to” amount. The initial report did not specify the guaranteed money, base value or incentives, so it should not be treated as $26.8 million guaranteed.
Higgins has 18 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown through nine games this season. Those numbers alone do not explain his place in Mike LaFleur’s offense.
In September, Higgins described how he had embraced the work available around McBride, comparing his approach to Dennis Rodman’s willingness to contribute without being a team’s primary scorer.
“If you’re not Trey McBride,” Higgins said in remarks published Sept. 30, “you should be making an effort to put a guy into the ground every single game.”
Why Elijah Higgins fits alongside Trey McBride
Arizona has already shown how that complementary role translates into playing time. Against Detroit in Week 5, the Cardinals used three tight ends and one running back on 25 snaps, according to the team’s snap breakdown.
Higgins played 39 offensive snaps, or 53 percent, while McBride played 60. Higgins also caught three passes for 57 yards, including a 38-yard gain.
That game illustrates why being second on the tight-end depth chart does not necessarily mean waiting for McBride to leave the field. Arizona can use both in the same formation, giving Higgins opportunities as a blocker and receiver without taking its top tight end out of the offense.
Higgins arrived in Arizona through waivers in August 2023 after Miami released him. A sixth-round pick who played wide receiver at Stanford, he has since appeared in 54 regular-season games for the Cardinals, starting 23.
He finished last season with 30 catches for 301 yards. The new agreement gives Arizona continuity with a player who has developed at a different position from the one he played in college.
Higgins stays ready for more receiving work
Arizona’s extension announcement also noted that injuries at wide receiver could increase the need for Higgins in the passing game. He made clear that opportunity would depend on how games unfold.
“You can draw up a million plays and call a few or call none. I’ll be ready,” Higgins said.
The extension does not establish a larger target share or a new role ahead of McBride. It keeps a complementary piece in place while leaving Arizona the flexibility to ask more of him when its available personnel and game plan require it.
