Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is signing his franchise tender Saturday and is expected to report to training camp, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
A long-term deal can still be reached but is considered a long shot, according to Schefter.
The tag is a fully guaranteed one-year, $21.8-million contract. Higgins is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
Cincinnati placed the tag on Higgins in February. The 25-year-old requested a trade a few weeks later but said in April that he expects to remain with the Bengals for the 2024 season.
Higgins was reportedly eyeing a similar deal to Indianapolis Colts wideout Michael Pittman's three-year, $70-million contract signed this offseason. However, the Bengals reportedly never reached the $20-million per year mark, and negotiations faltered.
Many high-profile wideouts got paid this offseason. Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson inked a four-year, $140-million deal in early June, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Other wide receivers who signed lucrative extensions include A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Bengals drafted Higgins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in 58 career games.