Bengals franchise tag Higgins for 2nd straight year
The Cincinnati Bengals have placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins for a second consecutive year, the wide receiver announced on X on Monday.
The Bengals franchise tagged Higgins "with the intent of continuing to work toward a long-term deal in Cincinnati," the team said Monday. The Bengals have until July 15 to work out a contract.
The tag is worth $26.2 million, as it's the second year Higgins has been tagged. A wide receiver tag is valued at $23.959 million in 2025. Several teams had been waiting for the announcement, as Higgins would've garnered a lot of interest in free agency, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports.
"Tee is the one that's not signed for the future right now, so that puts the onus on us to do something one way or another earlier," director of personnel Duke Tobin said at combine this weekend, per Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein. "We want Tee around here, not just next year but in the future."
Fellow wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase remains the top priority for the Bengals, sources told Russini. Tobin said Tuesday that the Bengals are ready to make Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Cincinnati reportedly made the 25-year-old an offer, but the two sides remain apart, Russini adds.
The Bengals also hope to retain defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Quarterback Joe Burrow previously said he would restructure his contract to keep the team's core together.
Chase captured the NFL's receiving triple crown in 2024 as the league leader in catches, yards, and touchdowns.