Caleb Harris
Tee Higgins’ run with the Cincinnati Bengals has come to an end. The star wide receiver signed his one-year franchise contract, the team officially announced Monday. ESPN previously reported that Higgins signed his franchise tag on Saturday and is expected to be in training camp. Higgins was away from the team and did not attend the mandatory minicamp as he is currently seeking a contract extension. While this puts an end to their resistance, this latest report also reveals that the two sides agreeing on a long-term deal is considered a long shot.
The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins in late February, preventing the 25-year-old from hitting the open market as a free agent. Under the tag, Higgins will earn $21.816 million fully guaranteed for the 2024 season.
“I’m excited to move forward with Tee,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said on official team announcement. “He did a great job handling his situation and we are happy to have him back so we can start working toward a great 2024 season. The locker room will be excited to have him back.”
This turnaround has become common for the Bengals in recent seasons. After Higgins was tagged, it prompted a trade request, which was not met by the team and ultimately led to him signing his tender. This is a similar circumstance to previous Bengals players like safety Jessie Bates III and offensive tackle Jonah Williams. Bates’ situation somewhat mirrored Higgins’ when he was tagged by Cincinnati in 2022, which led to speculation about a possible trade. In the end, he signed the contract and played that season before heading to free agency. As for Williams, he requested a trade last offseason but ended up staying with the team and played a year before also leaving as a free agent earlier this offseason.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Higgins will follow a similar path and ultimately leave the franchise, but it will be curious to see how Cincinnati handles his future, especially with fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s impending contract extension.
Higgins spent his entire career with the Bengals after the franchise drafted him in the second round of 2020 NFL Draft outside of Clemson. In that time, he has established himself as a top-tier pass catcher, which should earn him a sizable contract whenever he hits free agency in the not-too-distant future. In his four seasons in the league, Higgins surpassed 1,000 yards receiving twice and scored at least five touchdowns in each season.
Last year, Higgins was limited to 12 games due to a nagging hamstring injury. He finished the year with 656 yards and five touchdowns on 42 receptions.
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