Cincinnati Bengals director of participant personnel Duke Tobin sat in a largely empty ballroom on the Westin in downtown Indianapolis just lately and had a well-known dialog.
But once more, the Bengals’ de facto GM was discussing vast receiver Tee Higgins’ long-term future with the workforce. For the previous three offseasons, Cincinnati has needed to make a giant choice on considered one of its high offensive gamers. The choice made Monday is a well-known one for either side of the negotiation.
The Bengals positioned the franchise tag on Higgins for the second straight 12 months. It marks the newest growth in a yearslong saga relating to Higgins and a possible long-term extension. Final 12 months, the 2 sides had been unable to achieve an settlement on an extension for the fifth-year receiver out of Clemson.
This 12 months, the Bengals tagged Higgins once more both as a short-term resolution or as a placeholder for a extra remaining decision this offseason.
Higgins had a career-high 10 landing catches final season, and the Bengals had been 8-4 within the 12 video games he performed in in 2024, in contrast with 1-4 within the 5 he missed. Since coming into the league in 2020, Higgins has 34 receiving touchdowns, tied for the 14th most within the NFL. He is considered one of 9 gamers with at the very least 5 receiving TDs in every of the previous 5 seasons.
Taking a better look, Bengals reporter Ben Child solutions 5 massive questions concerning the transfer, together with the way it may have an effect on the possible offers for receiver Ja’Marr Chase and defensive finish Trey Hendrickson. Nationwide reporter Jeremy Fowler reveals what he is listening to across the league.
How did the Bengals and Higgins get up to now?
That is the third 12 months the Bengals and Higgins have battled over a long-term extension. After Higgins was tagged final 12 months, he requested a commerce within the hopes of touchdown a brand new deal. He ended up signing the tag, enjoying 12 video games and, maybe most notably, switched brokers forward of this 12 months’s massive negotiation, from David Mulugheta to Rocky Arceneaux and Caitlin Aoki of Alliance Sports activities Administration. Arceneaux additionally represents Higgins’ teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, who is also pursuing an extension.
Higgins has been a really productive receiver when wholesome. However with the window closing shortly, the Bengals opted to position the tag on Higgins, which leaves the workforce with a number of choices. — Child
What is going to Higgins’ frame of mind be after failing to obtain an extension, and what recourse does he have within the state of affairs?
To be clear, the 2 sides can nonetheless attain an settlement on an extension. That deadline is not till July 15. Nevertheless, the very fact the Bengals tagged Higgins is not an important signal.
When Higgins bought the tag final 12 months, it was an indication to him {that a} new deal wasn’t coming. Higgins wished to keep away from the noise and the drama final 12 months, which is why he accepted the tag effectively earlier than coaching camp.
Higgins introduced the newest tag himself with a four-character publish Monday: “tag.” Even when the workforce stated it needs to work towards a long-term deal, it’s value monitoring whether or not being tagged once more will increase Higgins’ frustration about his state of affairs in Cincinnati within the coming weeks. — Child
What are you listening to across the league?
The Bengals wish to signal Higgins to a long-term deal, so the franchise tag is an effective placeholder for them — to not point out that the worth of the tag, $26.1 million, is decrease than his precise worth within the vast receiver market.
Folks across the league are skeptical as as to if the Bengals will pay Chase, Higgins and Hendrickson, however they will strive. Anticipate rival groups to attempt to entice Cincinnati with a possible commerce package deal main as much as the draft, particularly if a receiver-needy workforce resembling New England would not get what it wants in free company. Cincinnati has a penchant for preserving good gamers as an alternative of dealing them, nevertheless. — Fowler
What does this imply for Higgins’ future in Cincinnati?
The Bengals have at all times been very excessive on Higgins. Even amid the entire contract drama this 12 months, Tobin expressed how his fondness for the 2020 second-round draft choose has advanced because the second he was a Bengal.
“My opinion of Tee has not modified,” Tobin stated. “He walked within the constructing, I am like, ‘Yep, that is what I assumed he was. That is what he’s.'”
But when the Bengals cannot attain a long-term cope with Higgins, and the receiver would not wish to play on the franchise tag, then Cincinnati ought to strongly take into account buying and selling him for draft capital with the hopes of discovering a possible alternative. — Child
How massive of a distraction may this turn out to be for Higgins and the workforce?
This may very well be a large distraction. Understand that when Higgins signed his 2024 franchise tag earlier than the beginning of coaching camp, he stated a part of the motivation was to keep away from being within the headlines.
He has been beloved by teammates and nearly everybody contained in the constructing over the previous 5 years. That features quarterback Joe Burrow, who has been very vocal about preserving Higgins in Cincinnati.
If the 2 sides cannot agree on a multiyear extension, managing the fallout with the franchise quarterback would be the greatest impediment for Cincinnati’s entrance workplace to face. — Child
What does this imply for Chase and Hendrickson offers?
For starters, this might give Chase higher leverage in his contract negotiation as he seeks to turn out to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in league historical past, which is one thing Tobin stated he hopes to perform.
With Higgins’ future unsure, there may be higher urgency to safe at the very least one long-term goal for Burrow over the following few seasons. Nevertheless, if the Bengals hold Higgins on the tag for the 2025 season, it’ll create much less cap area for the workforce to signal Chase and Hendrickson as a result of Higgins’ tag quantity will rely totally on the upcoming cap.
Nonetheless, Cincinnati ought to have ample area to get one thing finished with its two All-Professional gamers, particularly with the cap rising to $279.2 million in 2025. — Child
