According to SI.com, the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to hit Tee Higgins with the franchise tag for the second season in a row.
But that's not because the Bengalis don't want to expand him.
Si adds That the Bengals intend to sign Higgins in the long term after tagging him.
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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Aquilis Stadium in the first quarter. (Barry Reeger-Imagn image)
It is also worth noting that Cincinnati is intended to hit Higgins with a non-exclusive tag. This means that if you sign elsewhere, you will be compensated for two first-round draft picks.
Higgins was expected to be one of the top free agents available this offseason, but the Bengals clearly show that they still want him to be part of an offensive effort It's there.
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However, the final offseason was controversy when Higgins hit with the franchise tag. They had a bit of drama as Higgins wanted his long-term deal to stay with the team, but he eventually played with his franchise tag.
The Bengals and Higgins will have to negotiate a contract from February 18th to March 4th before officially tagging them.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) walks off the field after beating the Denver Broncos at Paycoll Stadium. (Katie Stratman-imagn image)
Higgins' teammates have been speaking out in support of him, hoping that the front office and veteran receivers will find a common position.
“You don't want to create the habit of getting great players out of the building,” quarterback Joe Burrow said of Higgins following the Bengals' roller coaster 2024 campaign. “Te is a great player and a guy who does everything the right way. He's really working hard for that.”
Ja'marr Chase, who received Higgins' counterpart, had the same effect.
The 26-year-old Higgins has come out of a season in 2024 when he caught 73 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns from Burrow, the NFL's leading passerby. Over five seasons against Cincinnati, Higgins has 330 catches and 34 touchdowns for 4,595 yards.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Jammer Chase (1) in the second half of the NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, October 20, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)
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If Higgins plays on the franchise tag in 2025, he is guaranteed $26.18 million a year, as the league combines the average of the top five recipient salaries from last season.
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