Despite placing the franchise tag on him for a second consecutive season, the Cincinnati Bengals stated goal is to come to an agreement on a long-term contract with star wide receiver Tee Higgins.
"Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement," Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month. "Always has been. It continues to be, and we'll work hard to get that done."
Multiple teams have reached out to Bengals about Tee Higgins, have been told he's unavailable
That stance could change, but for now it sure seems like the Bengals are staying true to their word. According to The Athletic's Diana Russini, multiple teams have reached out to Cincinnati about Higgins' availability following the tag, but they've been told that he remains unavailable as the Bengals continue to seek a long-term deal.
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The fact that teams are reaching out to Cincinnati about Higgins isn't surprising. He was expected to be the top free agent on the market had he not been tagged, and there are a plethora of teams out there that could use some top-tier talent at the wide receiver position, especially since the free agent class is kind of weak when it comes to receiver.
At this early point in the offseason, it would be surprising if the Bengals altered course and started entertaining offers for the star receiver. But if the two sides don't inch closer to a deal as the offseason continues, maybe that will change.
The days leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft could be interesting, as teams could try to entice Cincinnati with additional picks -- which they could certainly use.
Higgins and the Bengals have until July 15 to come to an agreement on a long-term extension, so that's obviously a date that Bengals fans are going to want to circle on the calendar.
If we get close to that date and the two sides are still far apart in contract discussions, perhaps a trade could materialize. Until then though, expect the Bengals to continue to try to figure out a long-term deal with Higgins.