Every player but one who received a franchise or transition tag this offseason wound up agreeing to a multi-year deal. The lone exception was Bengals wideout Tee Higgins, who signed his one-year tender last month. 
That decision left team and player available to negotiate a long-term deal, but at the time it remained a longshot such an agreement would be reached. The deadline for tagged players to sign a new contract is July 15, but no last-minute development is expected in Higgins’ case. The 25-year-old will play on the tag in 2024 without a deal in hand, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Having already signed the tag, Higgins will be required to attend training camp – unlike players who have previously declined to sign the tender even past the deadline for long-term deals to be finalized. The former second-rounder’s Bengals future has long been in question with Ja’Marr Chase in need of a monster extension as early as this offseason. Keeping he and Higgins in the fold while quarterback Joe Burrow plays out his market-topping extension would be a steep salary cap challenge. Cincinnati’s last Higgins extension efforts came more than one year ago, and offers did not reach the $20MM AAV mark.
For that reason, many expect the Clemson alum to use the 2024 season as a springboard to a free agent departure next spring. Higgins requested a trade in March, but it soon became clear the Bengals would not explore moving him. Based on his comments earlier in the spring, it comes as no surprise team and player now find themselves in a situation which will likely amount to a one-year rental. Cincinnati will, of course, have the option of applying a second franchise tag in 2025.
Higgins will receive $21.82MM this year, and a second tag would cost just over $26MM in 2025. The receiver market experienced another surge this offseason with three players topping the $30MM-per-year mark. A Chase extension will be in that neighborhood, taking away flexibility for a Higgins deal. The latter produced at least 908 yards in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, proving to an effective complement to Chase. Higgins produced career lows across the board in an injury-shortened 2023 campaign, but a bounce-back this year would set him up well on the open market.
The Bengals will have a new third receiver in 2024 given the absence of Tyler Boyd. Regardless of who ends up filling that role, Higgins could see a slight uptick in usage as he attempts to showcase himself to outside suitors. Cincinnati’s offense is on track to have a healthy Burrow, something which will raise expectations for the unit. Higgins’ presence will help the team’s passing game, but signs continue to point to this campaign being his last with the Bengals.
I think most fans who followed developments anticipated a divorce would be the final outcome. This could benefit both parties and thankfully it won’t have the drama that surrounded Rodgers and the Packers parting ways.
I’m guessing that if Higgins stays healthy and has a big year the Bengals tag him again at the 26-27 million and get the last year out of him before he leaves after 2025
They’d be fools to tag him again, unless to trade him.
Tee Higgins doesn’t carry that much trade value. He’s a guy that COULD be a #1 WR – not someone that’s shown that. And since whomever trades for him is going have to spend $100M+, the Bengals aren’t going to get much more than the 3rd round compensatory pick they’d likely wind up with if they let him walk.
lol meanwhile they’re waiting forever to pay Jamarr
Can see the panthers offering him a massive contract in one last massive attempt to help Bryce young next off-season
This sounds like the perfect trade piece, no? Young, productive receiver with decent size and speed who can play outside, and potentially grow into being a #1 on a one year tag? Cincinnati could get a good pick for Higgins here. Given that they’ll have a few good sized deals on the books in a year (even as they shed a few), they might as well get a high pick to grab Higgins’ replacement-and possibly another good player with any further compensation.
I believe they already have his replacement in Burton. Time will tell but I think he will be in the top 5 for rookie recovers this year. He brings a lot more to the table than Boyd did. Boyd has been average at best the past year and a half. I watched a lot of games last year and found my self at the end of the 3rd quarter wondering if Boyd was till on the team.
Fair, if Burton pans out, that could be true. He has the potential for it. That still leaves place for a third receiver, but I could see Burton operating inside and a bigger receiver moving outside just as well. If Burton does seize that outside spot, the trade value for Higgins would be even more useful. Cincy, despite being a pretty solid team all around, has a few areas where a good pick could help solidify the roster; a defensive lineman could help plan for the future, or a corner would both be great picks, in my mind. It seems to me that there’s good valud in trading Higgins now, and the team could build on what they have even better for it.
I think the Bengals have weakened their position in any trade of Higgins by indicating they are quite content to move on from him. Tepper seems like the guy mostly likely to overpay and the Panthers need a good WR besides Thielen desperately.
I will also add … there is a reason that Charlie Jones led all college receivers in catches in 2022 ..
I like Jones, but I think he’s going to be mostly a slot player in the NFL, making him more of a Boyd replacement than a Higgins replacement.
Agreed – I should have clarified , my intention was Burton replacing Tee and Jones replacing Boyd.
Got it. We’ll see about Burton. Very talented player, but he’s considered a huge risk character-wise. I’d say off-field concerns, but dude once smacked a woman *on the field*.