Bengals tag WR Tee Higgins again

Wide receiver Tee Higgins was tagged on Monday by the Cincinnati Bengals ahead of Tuesday's deadline to use the franchise tag.

Higgins, who played last season on a one-year franchise tender, again was blocked from reaching unrestricted free agency when the Bengals used the franchise marker to keep him in Cincinnati for the 2025 season. The one-year salary for franchise-tagged wide receivers is $26.2 million.

The Bengals and Higgins have until July 15 to come to terms on a long-term contract agreement. But there are other considerations that could prevent the two sides from reaching a deal before next season.

All-Pro wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is entering the final year of his contract and not expected to play next season without a new deal in place. The strategy was employed by Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk last summer. In each case, the team balked to end the standoff and both players emerged with near top-of-market long-term deals.

Higgins, 26, played in 12 games in 2024 and caught 10 TD passes with 73 receptions for 911 yards. He has 34 career touchdowns, 330 catches and 4,595 yards in 70 regular-season games since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bengals used the No. 1 pick in the same draft to select quarterback Joe Burrow, who said he would be disappointed if Higgins doesn't return.

"It's not even just his production, it's his presence. It's how he comes to work every day," Burrow said in January. "He plays such a big part in what we do here and has for five years now that I don't think you can quite put a value on that, I would say."

In December, Higgins hired Rocky Arceneaux and Caitlin Aoki of Alliance Sports Management -- they also represent Chase -- as his new agents. He said at the end of the regular season he wasn't looking to be a No. 1 option on another team and hoped to stay with the Bengals.

Lamb has the highest salary cap number in 2025 other than Jets wide receiver Davante Adams, who is expected to be traded or released in the next 10 days.

Lamb has a cap figure of $35.4 million.

Chase carries a cap figure of $21.8 million on the fifth-year option in his rookie contract.

--Field Level Media