Tee Higgins is generally considered the top offensive free agent, but the Bengals WR might not even make it to the open market. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack), the Bengals are considered “likely” to hit Higgins with the franchise tag if the two sides can’t work out a long-term deal.
According to Pelissero, the Bengals front office is currently focused on signing the star wideout to a long-term pact, and there’s “hope” they won’t have to opt for the franchise tag for the second-straight year. If the organization does ultimately turn to the tag, they’ll effectively be committing to Higgins for yet another season (barring a trade), and they’d still have until the middle of July to work out an extension with the receiver.
The former second-round pick saw his rookie contract expire last offseason, but the Bengals held on to Higgins via the franchise tag. A second-straight franchise tag would be valued at 120% of Higgins’ 2024 earnings, which would come in at $26.2MM. The Bengals would presumably hope that number is a placeholder as they pursue a long-term deal, but it could also represent a slight discount as Higgins pursues a deal worth more than $30MM per year.
Joe Burrow has made it clear that he wants the Bengals to retain one of his top targets, but the organization’s upcoming financial commitments would make a Higgins deal difficult to navigate. Burrow himself is playing on a once-record-breaking extension, and the Bengals have yet to work out a long-term deal with fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase. The organization could theoretically commit a significant chunk of their cap to their three offensive stars, but there’s also a chance the team will just be keeping the trio together for one last run.
The 2024 campaign was one of Higgins’ most productive showings of his career, as he compiled 911 receiving yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in just 12 games. His recent injury woes only slightly clouded his free agency outlook, as the WR was still expected to have plenty of suitors this offseason. If Higgins is ultimately slapped with the franchise tag, it will bode well for the rest of the free agent class, a group that includes veterans coming off injuries (like Chris Godwin and Stefon Diggs) and veterans who underwhelmed in new spots (like DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper).
Doing him dirty smh
Not doing him dirty he gets a raise he has to be paid in the top five of his position. fully guaranteed one year and he cannot be traded. If he’s cut, then he still gets a full pay Walter Jones, who played for the Seattle Seahawks loved being the franchise tag for five straight years. He got a raise, never to be asked to take a pay cut, never could be traded. He had plenty of money. These guys have plenty of money nobody’s being dirty when they make 30 million and your whole family combined will never even come close to 1 million.
You probably should not be Tee Higgins agent.
Players hate the franchise tag. Yes, that one guy you gave as an example is one that does, but normally FT stops players from hitting the open market and cashing in…
Bengals are still a joke.
You only have to make 50k for 20 years to make a million.
They are going to have the same approach for Chase.
Chase is an actual legitimate WR1…top 3 WR. He deserves the $.
Totally agree Chase deserves the money. My previous comment is completely about the Brown family/ownership philosophy and approach.
As a Pats fan, I hope he doesn’t get tagged. But I get it. It’s a business. I’d do the same.
Could lead to a trade still.
As a Pats fan you should hope they don’t sign him to the 4/100 he’s going to want. Hell anything over 10 a year is too much.
But again his stats don’t lie ♂️
10 a year? That’s three million a year less than guys like Gabe Davis and Darnell Mooney got last year.
Mooney had a better year than Higgins.
1) No he didn’t. He only exceeded Higgins in yards, and that was only by 80 over four more games. 2) He certainly didn’t in the year he became a free agent. Mooney got $13 million a year coming off a season with 31 catches for 414 yards and 1 touchdown.
I wouldn’t blame him for holding out.
He’s gonna sign it to get paid but have a lingering “hamstring” injury.
At least through training camp
As a Steelers fan, I *wish* we had something approaching Burrow and his receivers. Exciting players. All they need is to put a defense together
I’m shocked.
Is it a business? Yes
Can you use that crutch when you have, and will, substantially invest in others? Sure
You’d just better win it all this season because he’s gone afterwards … but you’re not soooo
I can’t for the life of me underdtand why people think he’s a WR1 let alone a top 10-15 WR.
67/908/6
74/1091/6
74/1029/7
42/656/5
73/911/10
That’s with a top 5 qb the WHOLE TIME! Playing opposite a top 3 WR.
He is injury prone and while he did have a great end to the year, has yet to put up anything to resemble the contract he’ll get.
He is probably the best # 2 receiver… I like Higgins but he’s made of glass… misses too much time. There have been times when Chase was hurt he was able to carry the torch as a 1 … but he’s no Chase
Even $26 million is a lot to pay a guy who will probably sit out 4 to 8 games with injuries of some kind. I see Higgins perspective though. He played out one tag, and this is maybe his last chance to get that long term guaranteed contract, which is his one shot at generational wealth. Holdouts are not often justified but in this case, Tee Higgins would have a very solid case.
Not saying I agree but its because he’s putting up those numbers as the clear #2 (through no fault of his own, Chase is just that elite of a WR1) despite the injuries. So teams go “if we can keep him healthy and make him our WR1 imagine what he can do”. There’s not really any situation where you’re going to have two guys perform at clear WR1 levels, when both stay fully healthy, for an entire season.
I think the Bengals simply don’t want to do anything that might upset Burrow. Joe is driving the bus because the Bengals made a long term commitment to him. The problem is that Joe has his own injury history that could throw a wrench into all the well laid plans.
Bills make the most sense
High need at the WR position and have the draft ammo and pieces to beat most deals anyone offers.
They have a late 1st
They have 2 2nds
Could offer a young WR like Coleman
Could offer a TE like Knox or Kincaid
They definitely have pieces to put the best deal on the table
Until they build an OL, it doesn’t matter about their WR room.
Offensive line is not a huge issue when your offense is scoring 30 points a game. Defense is definitely a much bigger problem.
Watch the Lions and Eagles O lines this year?
You picked 2 of the best. Everyone knows that the Bengals need defensive help before any help.
Yes I know I did. Joe is better than Goff and Hurts, but has nothing on them in playoffs because Detroit and Philly has an OL, not rocket science.
Joe Burrow doesn’t get to the playoffs because of his defense. You are the only one who seems to think the Bengals don’t need defense. He scored 108 points in a 3 game span and didn’t win a game. Damn, that offensive line. If he only scored 120
Joe has been the 2nd most sacked QB over the past few years. Google it. Meanwhile Hurts, an above average QB, has been to 2 SB’s. If you think football isn’t won by the lines, then you don’t know the game. Mahomes lost 2 SB’s because of poor line play.
Omg. You’re ridiculous. How about Philadelphia had a great defense and beat Mahomes? So a better offensive line would mean the Bengals win games 38-35? Again, you’re the only one that thinks the Bengals were held out of the playoffs because their offensive line was not good and not because their defense wasn’t any good. Burrow tends to hold the ball wanting to make a play and he’s not very mobile compared with the other quarterbacks. The only reason he may need a better line is to save him from a beating and prolong his career. It’s not like they can’t score
The game is still won by line play. The eagles D line was much better than KC’s OL. Not rocket science. Darn near a replay of Tampa’s D line owning KC’s in the SB a few years back.
Now does Cinncy need overall D help, sure. But Joe getting flattened weekly isn’t a recipe for success either. He’s already missed significant time over his career due to injuries.
And yet when Burrow got sacked the most, the team made the Super Bowl one year and the AFC Championship game the other year. He’s gotten sacked less the last 2 years and no playoff games. You know why? Defense was better in the playoff and Super Bowl years. It’s not rocket science. The Bengals actually have good tackles and just need 1 or 2 guards. Their line isn’t as bad as people say. Chase Brown averaged over 5 ypc and rushed for almost 1000 yards and he wasn’t even the main back until the 5th or 6th game
Have fun seeing your QB wrecked.
Burrow was sacked 48 this past season and Philadelphia gave up 45 sacks. Burrow dropped back a lot more too. 48 sacks for 650 passing attempts is not bad. He even admitted this season that he needs to throw the ball away more and save his body
Enjoy being mediocre. Goodell ‘With the 17th pick the Bengals select another loser’.
I’m not a Bengals fan but last years pick looks pretty good
Just let the man go at this point. They’re gonna lowball Tee and let him play out the season on the tag and then also lowball Hendrickson and Chase and probably be forced to let Hendrickson walk because they need to tag Chase. They’re rivaling the Cowboys when it comes to bungling negotiations by coming to the table with zero leverage. They played hardball with all 3 players, borderline alienated all 3, and are somehow convinced they’ll come out on top of the negotiations somehow.