Bleacher Report pegs Tee Higgins as a player teams could regret signing

The Cincinnati Bengals have a decision to make regarding Tee Higgins this offseason. Will they franchise tag him and keep him on the roster for 2024? Will they franchise tag him and then trade him elsewhere? Or will they simply let him walk away and get nothing in return for him?

If the Bengals franchise tag Higgins, they'll be on the hook for roughly $20.7 million if they don't end up trading him or coming to an agreement on a new deal. If he gets traded, that team will more than likely sign him to a new deal and it won't be a cheap one (Spotrac has Higgins' market value at four years, $74 million with an annual salary of $18.6 million).

These are big numbers for a guy who is coming off the worst year of his career, which is why Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report warns that whoever does sign Higgins to a big contract this offseason could end up regretting it.

" Due to lingering hamstring issues that caused him to miss five regular-season contests, he posted career lows with 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns.
Soft-tissue injuries can be tricky, though they're not typically viewed as long-term problems. However, Higgins isn't coming off the strongest season when entering the market. Furthermore, he's never been in a position where he's the primary threat."

- Brent Sobleski

Will Tee Higgins leave whoever signs him with regrets?

Higgins missed five games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury and could have missed more time if he hadn't gutted it out for a few games. He finished the 2023 campaign with 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns, all of which are career lows for the former second-round pick. The injury certainly played a part in Higgins' worst pro season as could not having a healthy Joe Burrow for most of the season (even at the beginning of the year, Burrow wasn't himself).

While Bengals fans would love to see Higgins stick around, it could make a lot of sense for the team to franchise tag him and then trade him. That way they get something in return for him and still have plenty of money to spend on some big names to help them in the trenches. Spending a large chunk of change on a quarterback and two receivers probably isn't the wisest move here but if the Bengals feel that's the best decision, then so be it.