The contract dispute between Tee Higgins and the Bengals ended without an agreement.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Sunday: The contract will not be resolved this offseason.That means no extension will be given by the July 15 deadline and Higgins will play under the franchise tag until September.
In February, the Bengals placed the tag on their star wide receiver, despite Higgins wanting to sign a long-term deal in Cincinnati.
However, he gave in and signed the tag on June 15, giving the impression that negotiations were over.
The two sides were unable to find common ground on a new agreement.
Higgins, 25, will make $21.8 million on the tag this season and could be one of the top receiver free agents on the market in the 2025 offseason unless the Bengals tag him a second time.
Teammate Ja’Marr Chase is also looking to stay with the Bengals long-term as he enters the fourth year of his rookie contract.
But the Bengals have already invested heavily in quarterback Joe Burrow, who is in the second year of a five-year, $275 million contract.
The team will likely have to decide which receiver they want to keep long-term.
Higgins missed all three days of the team’s mandatory minicamp and all optional offseason workouts but is scheduled to report to training camp on July 24.
Higgins had 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns last season before rib and hamstring injuries limited him to just 12 games.
He surpassed 1,000 yards in two of his four NFL seasons and was a key contributor to the Bengals’ Super Bowl run in 2021-2022.
Cincinnati opens the season on September 8 against the Patriots.
