In a move that should surprise absolutely no one in the “Bengals Community” and those in Cincinnati and the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals and WR Tee Higgins didn’t agree to agree to a contract extension before the 4pm deadline on July 15th. As a result, Tee Higgins will play on the $21.8M franchise tag in 2024, something he said he intends to do. 

The team placed the tag on Higgins February 26th, and it was reported that before the start of free agency that he was seeking a trade. Of the eight players who received the franchise tag this off-season, Higgins will be the only player to play on the tag, which has raised questions about how the Bengals front office blatantly mishandled the situation.

It was possible the Bengals could have had Higgins available for trades, but they decided not to, given their intentions of being a “Super Bowl contender.”  Had they done so, they could have received draft compensation. However, given the career lows he had last season, it was possible teams weren’t going to give up the necessary compensation for a player on a franchise tag they were going to have to pay long term for. That was maybe a factor in their decision to keep him. 

Despite the tag and trade request, Higgins has said he will play in Cincinnati on the tag in 2024. That makes the “Bengals Community” and the city of Cincinnati happy, for the time being. 

The Bengals can tag Higgins again in 2025 if they choose to, but it remains to be seen what direction both he and the team will go after the 2024 season. For now, both Higgins and the Bengals are ready to put this behind them and are ready for the season to begin.

**Are you interested in sports betting? If so make sure to use our promo code below where you can get your deposit matched (up to $1000), use promo code Sportz***

***Have you tried Dubby?? Are you looking for a Pre-Workout??
Use our promo code : WeLikeSportz for 10% off!