Tee Higgins is mostly considered the highest offensive free agent, however the Bengals WR may not even make it to the open market. In line with 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 2 sides can’t work out a long-term deal.
In line with 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 need to go for the franchise tag for the second-straight 12 months. If the organization does ultimately turn to the tag, they’ll effectively be committing to Higgins for one more season (barring a trade), they usually’d still have until the center of July to work out an extension with the receiver.
The previous second-round pick saw his rookie contract expire last offseason, however the Bengals held on to Higgins via the franchise tag. A second-straight franchise tag can be valued at 120% of Higgins’ 2024 earnings, which might are available at $26.2MM. The Bengals would presumably hope that number is a placeholder as they pursue a long-term deal, but it surely could also represent a slight discount as Higgins pursues a deal price greater than $30MM per 12 months.
Joe Burrow has made it clear that he wants the Bengals to retain considered one of his top targets, however 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 cope with fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase. The organization could theoretically commit a major chunk of their cap to their three offensive stars, but there’s also a likelihood the team will just be keeping the trio together for one last run.
The 2024 campaign was considered one of Higgins’ best showings of his profession, as he compiled 911 receiving yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in only 12 games. His recent injury woes only barely clouded his free agency outlook, because the WR was still expected to have loads of suitors this offseason. If Higgins is ultimately slapped with the franchise tag, it would bode well for the remainder of the free agent class, a gaggle that features veterans coming off injuries (like Chris Godwin and Stefon Diggs) and veterans who underwhelmed in recent spots (like DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper).
