Higgins and the Bengals will not agree to a contract extension by Monday's deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Higgins signed his franchise tag in mid-June and will play on that tag this year before likely becoming a free agent in the 2025 offseason. Per Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site, it's possible the Bengals could franchise-tag Higgins again or work on a tag-and-trade scenario, though it's likely that this will be his final season as a Bengal. Higgins missed five games last season due to injuries but racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the prior two campaigns.
Unlock the latest Cincinnati Bengals news — direct to your inbox.
Status
ACTIVELatest Tee Higgins news
Team
Cincinnati Bengals
Birthdate
1/18/1999 (25)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'4", 219 lbs
Draft Info
2020: Rd 2; Pk (CIN)
Birthplace
Oak Ridge, TN, USA
Position
WR
College
Clemson
Experience
5 seasons
Career History
Cincinnati Bengals
2020-Present
(4 seasons)
It's the offseason! 😎
Check back next season for fresh
AI-powered projections.
Can't wait for more data?
Join dfsPro Daily for free
AI-powered Fantasy Picks
Year-Round.
Higgins and the Bengals will not agree to a contract extension by Monday's deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Higgins signed his franchise tag in mid-June and will play on that tag this year before likely becoming a free agent in the 2025 offseason. Per Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site, it's possible the Bengals could franchise-tag Higgins again or work on a tag-and-trade scenario, though it's likely that this will be his final season as a Bengal. Higgins missed five games last season due to injuries but racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in each of the prior two campaigns.
Higgins signed his franchise tag with the Bengals on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. As a result, the star wideout will report for Cincinnati's training camp poised to make $21.8 million on the one-year tag. Schefter's report also indicates it's unlikely Higgins and the team will come to terms on a long-term deal, making this possibly the 25-year-old's last campaign with the team as the Bengals push for another Super Bowl appearance. The fourth-year wideout struggled with injuries throughout last season and never really got into a rhythm within the offense, especially after quarterback Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending wrist injury in Week 12. With everyone expected to be fully healthy entering the 2024 season, Higgins and the passing unit should be in a position to be electric once again.
Higgins hasn't signed his franchise tag and isn't attending June minicamp, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Higgins would need to sign the tag before practicing and can't be fined while he's technically not under contract. He reportedly asked for a trade in March, but in April he told reporters that he expected to play for the Bengals this season. There's a July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term contracts.
Higgins and teammate Ja'Marr Chase are not present at voluntary OTAs on Tuesday, Ben Baby of ESPN reports. Higgins still hasn't signed the franchise tag Cincinnati placed on him back in February, and with Chase also eligible for an extension, both of the Bengals' top wideouts appear to be vying for new deals. Until Higgins signs the franchise tag he won't be eligible to report for organized team activities. He formally requested a trade after having the franchise tag placed on him but has since indicated he anticipates suiting up for the Bengals for the 2024 season, and coach Zac Taylor plainly stated that he's not worried about the absence of either Higgins or Chase at this time.
Higgins is not expected to sign his franchise tender by the end of the week, which will make him ineligible to report in time for the start of OTAs next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Higgins formally requested a trade from Cincinnati after the team placed the franchise tag on him prior to free agency. He appeared to have a change of heart in April, as the wideout hinted that he anticipated playing for the Bengals in 2024 at his youth camp, per Ben Baby of ESPN.com. It remains to be seen if that will occur via the franchise tag or the long-term extension the pass catcher has been seeking. As of now, it looks like this conflict will linger into OTAs.
Higgins stated at his youth camp Sunday that he anticipates playing for Cincinnati in 2024, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports. Higgins received the Bengals' franchise tag in late February, and a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN in early March indicated that the wideout had requested a trade. However, Higgins now appears to have had a change of heart, as his comments Sunday suggest that he's planning to suit up for Cincinnati during the 2024 campaign. It's not clear if that means progress has been made between the player and organization in reaching the long-term extension that Higgins has reportedly been hoping for.
Higgins has reportedly requested a trade, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Bengals previously placed their franchise tag on Higgins, but Schefter indicates that the wideout is disappointed in the lack of progress toward a long-term contract extension and thus is seeking a new situation. It remains to be seen how amenable Cincinnati will be to his request, and it's still possible that the two sides move toward a resolution that would keep Higgins in the fold in 2024. However, the 2020 second-rounder's future with the franchise is up in the air as NFL free agency approaches.
Higgins hadn't practiced in any capacity since Nov. 8, when he was listed as a limited participant for that session before being listed on the injury report as a non-participant for the Bengals' next eight practices. He's missed three straight games along the way, but after getting back on the field Thursday, Higgins is taking a step toward a potential return to action this Monday against the Jaguars. The extent of Higgins' practice participation will be revealed later Thursday, but if he's able to take full reps at some point within the next three days, he should get the green light to play Week 13. If available in Jacksonville, Higgins will be on the receiving end of passes from new starting quarterback Jake Browning for the first time, as Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury Week 11 while Higgins was sidelined.
With Higgins set to miss a third straight game, Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Trenton Irwin are expected to serve as the Bengals' top three options at receiver for new starting quarterback Jake Browning, who is filling in for Joe Burrow (wrist). With Burrow on track to miss the rest of the season, Higgins' fantasy outlook will take a hit even if he's able to return for the Bengals' next game Dec. 4 against the Jaguars in Week 13.