Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) runs in for a touchdown after a catch during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. PHOTO USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES Superstar wide receiver Tee Higgins will not hit free agency later this month, as the Cincinnati Bengals have placed the franchise tag on him again.
Higgins was franchise-tagged and blocked from free agency last season as well, keeping the former Clemson receiver in Cincinnati for what might be one final season.
While the franchise tag buys the Bengals time to work out a long-term deal with Higgins, the back-to-back use of it appears to have upset the talented wideout.
“Tag,” he posted on X on Monday, right before the news went public.
This news was expected to drop before the NFL’s franchise tag window closes later this week. The tag makes Higgins a top-five receiver on average for the 2025-26 season but does not provide the financial security that players fight so hard for.
When the news surrounding a likely franchise tag was first reported a few weeks ago, Higgins’ mother, who is a great follow, took to social media in a cryptic post, seemingly calling the Bengals selfish.
So far, Mama Higgins is correct. The Bengals have been unable to shake their reputation as an organization that does not take care of its players financially. While they made Joe Burrow the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, Mike Brown’s ownership group did not have much of an option. Losing Burrow or causing an ugly holdout situation could have jeopardized the Bengals’ future in Cincinnati.
Another component of this ongoing wide receiver negotiation is the fact that the Bengals have an even better option than Higgins—Ja’Marr Chase. According to reports Monday afternoon, the Bengals have extended an offer to Chase, but the sides remain distant from reaching a long-term agreement.
Chase was a part-time participant in the Bengals’ offseason program last season, making it clear he wanted to be paid. After Justin Jefferson received a monster four-year deal worth $140 million with $110 million fully guaranteed, there’s no doubt that Chase will reset the non-quarterback market.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Chase has been a priority. And he should be. While Cincinnati technically could play hardball with him just like they are doing with Higgins, it might not be smart to upset two of the most talented receivers in the game.
The Bengals can’t afford to fumble what is in front of them. If they do, the Burrow extension was all for nothing in the first place.
