Cincinnati Bengals is expected to hit Tee Higgins with the franchise mark for the second season in a row, according to SI.com.
However, it is not because Bengals does not want to expand him.
SI adds that Bengals intends to sign Higgins long -term after tagging him.
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Cincinnati Bengal’s wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a care against Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. (Barry Reeger-Preferred Pictures)
It is also worth noting that Cincinnati intends to hit Higgins with the non-exclusive roof, which means they would be compensated by two drafts of the first round if he had to sign elsewhere.
Higgins was expected to be among the top free agents available this season, but the Bengals clearly show that they still want him to be part of their offensive efforts.
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Last season, however, was disputed when Higgins was hit by the franchise mark. They had some drama when Higgins wanted his long -term deal to stay with the team, but he eventually played on his franchise mark.
Bengals and Higgins will now have until February 18 to March 4 to negotiate a contract before deciding to officially feel him.
Cincinnati Bengal’s wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) goes off the field after the victory over Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium. (Katie Stratman-Preferred Pictures)
Higgins’ teammates have been vocal with their support for him in the hope that the front office and the veteran recipient can find common grounds.
“You don’t want to make a habit of letting big players get out of the building,” said Quarterback Joe Burrow about Higgins after Bengals’ Rollercoaster 2024 campaign. “Tee is an amazing player and a guy who does everything the right way. He works really hard for it.”
Yes’marr Chase, Higgins’ receiving counterpart, also said something to the same effect.
The 26-year-old Higgins goes out of a season where he caught 73 passports from Burrow, the NFL’s leading passersby in 2024, for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Over five seasons with Cincinnati, Higgins has 4,595 yards with 34 touchdowns on 330 catches.
Cincinnati Bengal’s wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) celebrates his touchdown with the broad recipient Ja’Marr Chase (1) in the second half of a NFL football match against Cleveland Browns, Sunday 20 October 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
If Higgins were to play on the franchise mark in 2025, he would be guaranteed $ 26.18 million for the year as the league combines the average of the top five receiving salaries from last season.
