Bengals’ Tee Higgins to Play on Franchise Tag in 2024 as Deadline Passes
CINCINNATI — The anticipated decision has been confirmed.
Tee Higgins and the Cincinnati Bengals did not finalize a long-term contract by Monday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline. Consequently, the wide receiver will play the 2024 season under a one-year franchise tag.
Higgins is now in a distinctive position. Of the eight NFL players tagged as franchise players in March, Higgins is the only one who did not secure a multiyear deal by the deadline. Notably, Brian Burns and L’Jarius Sneed were traded—Burns to the New York Giants and Sneed to the Tennessee Titans—before reaching deals.
Higgins will earn $21.8 million this season through his franchise tender.
Per the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association, Higgins cannot sign an extension until after the final regular-season game of the upcoming season.
This deadline marks the latest chapter in Higgins’ contractual narrative.
The Bengals placed Higgins under the franchise tag on February 26. Shortly before the start of free agency, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Higgins had asked for a trade.
Despite this, Higgins expressed his commitment to playing for the Bengals in 2024 at his youth football camp in April. After Cincinnati’s offseason workouts concluded, Higgins signed the franchise tag on June 17.
“I’m excited to move forward with Tee,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in the statement. “He’s handled his situation admirably, and we are thrilled to get him back so we can work toward a great 2024 season.”
Higgins, a second-round draft pick in 2020, has been integral to Cincinnati’s offense over the past four years. He recorded 3,028 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in his first three seasons. His impressive performance in Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 saw him catch both of Cincinnati’s touchdowns in a 23-20 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.
In 2023, injuries affected Higgins’ season. A rib injury and a hamstring issue limited him to a career-low 12 games, during which he recorded 42 receptions on 77 targets for 656 yards and five touchdowns.