For the second consecutive season, the Cincinnati Bengals have opted to use the franchise tag on star wide receiver Tee Higgins. Cincinnati had until March 4 to apply the tag, so they just beat the deadline.
Higgins, who Cincinnati selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, is coming off a very solid 2024 season for the Bengals. Despite missing five games due to injury issues, Higgins still caught 73 passes for 911 yards and ten touchdowns. Those numbers were all second on the team, behind Triple Crown winner Ja'Marr Chase, who is also seeking a long-term extension with Cincinnati this offseason.
Bengals hit Tee Higgins with the franchise tag again, have until July 15 to sign him to long-term deal
By tagging Higgins, the Bengals effectively blocked him from hitting free agency, as he would have had the tag not been applied. Now that Higgins is tagged, the two sides can continue to work on a long-term deal. Higgins could also be traded, but the former option is the stated goal of the organization.
"I think Tee Higgins is a fantastic football player and I want him on my football team," Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the NFL Scouting combine last week. "Whenever I'm in charge of a football team, I want Tee Higgins.
"So, I'm going to do what I can to get Tee Higgins. Our preference with Tee Higgins is to do a long-term agreement. Always has been. It continues to be, and we'll work hard to get that done."
Now that the tag has been applied, the sides have until July 15 to agree to an extension, as that's the deadline for organization to sign tagged players to long-term deals. If Higgins were to play under the tag in 2025 -- something he probably wouldn't be very happy about -- he would earn approximately $26.2 million.
Obviously, Higgins would much rather sign a long-term contract, as opposed to playing on a one-year deal without any long-term security for a second consecutive season. Any player would. Him being tagged doesn't mean that won't happen. It just means it hasn't happened yet. This situation will continue to be one to monitor as the offseason progresses.