Bengals’ Tee Higgins to play on tag in 2024 as deadline passes
CINCINNATI — The speculation has turned into reality.
The Bengals and Tee Higgins were unable to agree on a long-term deal by Monday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, meaning the wide receiver will play for Cincinnati on a one-year franchise tag in 2024.
This places Higgins in a unique position. Among the eight NFL players designated as franchise players in March, Higgins is the only one not to secure a multiyear deal by the deadline. Two of those players, Brian Burns and L’Jarius Sneed, were traded before reaching agreements—Burns to the New York Giants and Sneed to the Tennessee Titans.
Higgins is set to earn $21.8 million this season through his franchise tender.
Under 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 season.
Monday’s deadline passing is the latest update in Higgins’ ongoing contract situation.
The Bengals placed Higgins under the franchise tag on Feb. 26. Shortly before free agency began, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Higgins had requested a trade from the team.
Despite this, Higgins announced at his youth football camp in April that he intended to play for the Bengals in 2024. Following the team’s offseason workouts, Higgins signed the franchise tag on June 17.
“I’m excited to move forward with Tee,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “He’s done a great job handling his situation, and we are happy to get him back so we can start working toward a great 2024 season.”
Selected in the second round in 2020, Higgins has been a vital part of the Bengals’ offense over the past four years. In his first three seasons, he accumulated 3,028 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. This does not include his performance in Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, where he caught both of Cincinnati’s touchdowns in a 23-20 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.
In 2023, injuries marred Higgins’ season. A rib injury and a hamstring problem limited him to a career-low 12 games. He managed to catch 42 of 77 targets for 656 yards and five touchdowns.