The Cincinnati Bengals have placed the franchise tag to wide receiver Tee Higgins.
On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals announced that they have utilized the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins, ensuring his presence on the team for at least one more season.
Unless a long-term agreement is reached before July 15, the 25-year-old Higgins is set to play the 2024 season with the Bengals for a salary of $21.8 million, corresponding to the franchise tag amount designated for receivers. Despite being a second-round draft pick in 2020, Higgins was unable to secure a long-term deal before entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Heading into the 2023 season, quarterback Joe Burrow inked a substantial five-year contract extension worth $275 million. The Bengals are also anticipated to extend a lucrative long-term deal to their primary receiver, Ja’Marr Chase.
Over his 58 regular-season games with Cincinnati, Higgins has amassed 257 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. He achieved over 1,000 receiving yards in both 2021 and 2022, making him one of just five players in team history to achieve this feat multiple times within their first three seasons.
Despite a dip in production in 2023, attributed mainly to missing five games due to injuries, Higgins continues to be a vital component of the Bengals’ offense, as emphasized by Bengals coach Zac Taylor in a statement: “Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020. I’m glad that he’ll continue to be a big part of our offense and our team.”
