The Bengals have formally applied the franchise tag to wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Tee Higgins will be returning to the Cincinnati Bengals, either through the franchise tag or another means.
The Bengals made the announcement on Monday, officially tagging the standout wide receiver after reportedly informing him of their decision several days prior. Opting to retain him rather than allowing him to explore free agency, the Bengals aim to maintain his successful on-field partnership with teammate Ja’Marr Chase. This season, the franchise tag is set to provide wide receivers with a fully guaranteed $21.8 million.
With the franchise tag deadline set for March 5, the Bengals still have the opportunity to negotiate a long-term extension with Higgins before then.
Higgins is coming off his least productive season, largely due to missing five games due to injuries. He recorded career lows in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and targets while catching passes from both Joe Burrow and Jake Browning.
Since the arrival of Ja’Marr Chase, who is entering the fourth season of his rookie deal and is expected to have his fifth-year option exercised this offseason, Higgins has effectively filled the role of a highly capable No. 2 wide receiver.
Considering the impending significant contracts for Chase and Burrow’s five-year, $275 million deal, the Bengals may hesitate to offer Higgins top receiver compensation, which he could likely command on the open market. Nonetheless, the team currently has $51 million in cap space for 2024, according to OverTheCap, with few substantial cap commitments in subsequent seasons.
