Wide receiver Tee Higgins has now signed a new deal an extension by the….
To say that this has been an eventful offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals could be a bit of an understatement.
Tee Higgins’ situation, in particular, has been a major headache for the fans a the.
Fortunately for everybody involved, it seems like they’ve finally come to terms with a solution.
According to a report by ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the talented wide receiver will finally sign his franchise tender.
He had reportedly asked for a trade back in March.
His contract negotiations had reportedly stalled, and it seemed like both parties were far apart.
Still, he claimed that he wanted to stay with the team and that he anticipated to play for the Bengals in 2024.
The Bengals didn’t allow him to hit the free-agent market, placing him under the franchise tag.
Now, with him about to sign his tender, he and the team will have until July 15 to work out a new contract.
Otherwise, he’ll be tied to the organization with a one-year deal worth $21.8 million.
Eight players were tagged in the offseason, and all have signed new contracts, except for Higgins.
The Clemson product has been one of the best players on the team since entering the league in 2020.
But with the Bengals saving up to make Ja’Marr Chase potentially the highest-paid wide receiver in the game, and considering how big a chunk of the salary cap goes towards paying Joe Burrow, Higgins’ new contract hasn’t been the No. 1 priority for the front office.
Tee Higgins in his Bengals uniform
Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) against the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has made a major decision on his status with the team after skipping the entirety of offseason activities.
Higgins signed his franchise tag on Saturday, according to multiple reports, and will be in training camp when it begins. Higgins remains “open” to a long-term contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but is content to play on the tag for now.
With #Bengals WR Tee Higgins signing his franchise tag today, it means he’ll show up for training camp with his teammates. He’s open to an extension off the tag, and we shall see if it happens. But he’s now locked in and under
Higgins’ decision to sign his tender ends an offseason of speculation that even included a trade request after he and the Bengals failed to agree on a long-term deal. Despite that, Higgins never really seemed to seriously fall out with the organization, at one point suggesting that he would be back with Cincinnati for the 2024 season even after making that demand. That turned out to be prescient.
After back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, Higgins had something of a down year in 2023. Injuries limited him to 12 games and 656 receiving yards, but he has shown what he is capable of when healthy. His decision means he stands to make just shy of $22 million in 2024 unless he and the Bengals can hash out a long-term agreement.
