Cincinnati Bengals legend Chad Johnson thinks that the organization's decision to use the franchise tag on star wide receiver Tee Higgins for a second straight season is "disrespectful."
The Bengals have stated that their goal is to come to an agreement on a long-term deal with Higgins, and the tag technically gives them additional time to do that, as it basically blocks Higgins from hitting the open market in free agency.
However, Johnson thinks that if the Bengals truly wanted to get a long-term deal done with Higgins, they would have done so already. After all, this situation has been brewing for well over a year.
Chad Johnson calls Bengals' decision to tag Tee Higgins for a second straight year 'disrecpectful'
During an appearance on ESPN's First Take, Johnson used a dating analogy to explain why Cincinnati's course of action isn't necessarily fair to Higgins, who has blossomed into the exact type of receiver the Bengals were hoping he would be when they selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
"The first year, alright you tag me, you want me to bet on myself, you can see if I can repeat it and do it again," Johnson said. "The second time you tag me, it's like when you like a girl, you're interested in her, and she puts you in the friend zone. 'I don't really value you long term, so I'm going to put you in the friend zone.'
"At some point, some time, it's allowing the Bengals to buy themselves some time to work out a deal, but if you wanted to work out a deal you would've done it a long time ago."
You can see Johnson's full comments on the matter below:
"Disrespectful." 😳
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 4, 2025
—Former Bengals WR @ochocinco on Tee Higgins receiving the franchise tag 👀 pic.twitter.com/pCzynDUvqA
Johnson certainly has a point, and it's easy to see how Higgins could potentially feel slighted by the situation, and even undervalued in Cincinnati. He's done everything that the organization has asked of him, and he's developed in an integral part of the offense -- and a favorite target of quarterback Joe Burrow. He absolutely deserves some long-term security as a result.
Higgins and the Bengals now have until July 15 to come to an agreement on an extended contract. If no agreement is reached by then, Higgins will be forced to play out the 2025 season under the tag, and it's safe to say that he wouldn't be very happy with that outcome.
It will be very interesting to see what the Bengals decide to do in the coming weeks.