One of the most interesting stories surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals during the offseason has been about wide receiver Tee Higgins’s contract status.
Although Higgins was free to sign with other teams during the offseason, the Bengals decided to apply the franchise tag to him. Many options and questions arise when one considers franchising.
Higgins would earn $21.8 million for the 2024 season if he played out the entire year on the tag. However, Higgins is probably not worried about this impending campaign alone. He would naturally choose long-term security.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati would have to decide whether or not they would be prepared to pay Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase big bucks on long-term contracts, which might not be the best
Tee Higgins and the Bengals don’t seem to be speaking at all right now.
In a recent essay for ESPN, Matt Miller discussed some of the rumors he’s hearing about each team in the run-up to the 2024 NFL Draft. Regarding the Bengals and Higgins, Miller had the following to say:
Tee Higgins
“A source close to the Higgins situation told me the two sides haven’t talked yet, making it unclear if the Bengals will move Higgins, but that person also noted the team believes it is in win-now mode and can challenge the Chiefs for the AFC title this season with Higgins on the roster.”
Miller continued by saying that Chase requires a new contract, which would “even open the door for the Bengals to draft a receiver in the next round.”
Thus, the Bengals will likely keep Higgins through 2024 because they still believe they can win a Super Bowl right now.
Will Higgins, though, decide to play on the tag this season? Players have been known to threaten to withdraw if they don’t receive long-term security, so Higgins has that option.
One other possible course of action for him would be to try and push his way out of Cincinnati through trade. We’re not really sure what’s going on right now. However, following the draft, we may have a better idea of Cincinnati’s intentions for Higgins’ near future.
