Bengals place franchise tag on WR Tee Higgins،
CINCINNATI — The Bengals made their first big decision of the offseason, placing the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins.
The move allows the Bengals to retain Higgins for at least one more season. If the two sides do not reach a long-term agreement before July 15, Higgins will be limited to a one-year contract with the club worth $21.816 million, the league's franchise amount. for wide receivers in 2024.
The deadline for teams to use the franchise or transition tag is March 5.
Higgins, a 2020 second-round pick, was set to enter free agency after his rookie contract with Cincinnati expired. In his first four seasons with the team, he caught 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. In seven playoff games, he has 31 receptions for 457 yards and three touchdowns.
“Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “I am happy that he will continue to play an important role in our offense and our team.”
This is the second straight offseason where Higgins' long-term future with the club has been a topic of conversation. At last year's NFL scouting meeting in Indianapolis, Bengals manager Duke Tobin flatly rejected a potential trade involving Higgins.
However, the two sides failed to agree on a long-term extension before Higgins began the final season of his current contract. Higgins had an injury-plagued 2023 season that limited him to 12 games. He totaled 42 receptions, 656 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Higgins publicly and privately expressed his desire to remain in Cincinnati for several years. But that's just one costly part of Cincinnati's projected future offense.
In 2023, quarterback Joe Burrow signed a five-year contract extension worth $275 million, which set the NFL record for highest average annual salary. Burrow's salary cap hit will be $46.3 million in 2025, according to Roster Management System.
Receiver Ja'Marr Chase is also poised to become one of the highest-paid players at his position. Chase made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons, set several franchise records and is looking to earn a salary at the top of the market.
ESPN's Dan Graziano contributed to this report.
