Cincinnati Bengals announce Tee Higgins' franchise tag tender signing

The Cincinnati Bengals officially announced on Monday that wide receiver Tee Higgins has signed his franchise tag tender with the team for the 2024 season. Despite staying out of team activities and mandatory minicamp, and asking for a trade this offseason, Higgins has signed as the team’s lone franchise player on a one-year deal worth $21.816 million.

Though $21.816 million for a single season is a vast sum, the wide receiver market has recently shifted. Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson landed a four-year contract extension for $140 million that moved up per-year salary up to $35 million. Since the Bengals will have to pay Higgins more than $21 million next year if they decide to tag him again, it’s more likely that they’ll either try to offer him an extension or let him enter free agency for the first time in his career.

As a second-round draft pick, Higgins’ rookie deal, unlike teammate Ja’Marr Chase‘s, did not include a fifth-year option. His rookie deal of four years, $8.68 million, ran out after the 2023 season. With Chase’s contract extension also nearing, the team opted to tag Higgins instead of working out a long-term deal.

Before OTAs, nearly all of the franchise-tagged players signed extensions this offseason, except for Higgins and one other player. Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. ended up joining the ranks of the signed a month ago, however, inking for four years, $84.1 million, leaving only the Bengals wideout unsigned.

Higgins to play 2024 season on franchise tag

Cincinnati selected Higgins, the former Clemson star, with the 33rd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Last season, he played in 12 games, totaling 656 yards on 42 catches with five touchdowns. It was his first season with fewer than 900 receiving yards after posting two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Head coach Zac Taylor is one of many Bengals celebrating Higgins’ deal. After all the drama of the offseason, he has another one of his top weapons for Joe Burrow locked in for another year.

“I’m excited to move forward with Tee,” Taylor said. “He’s done a great job handling his situation, and we are happy to get him back in the fold so we can start working toward a great 2024 season. The locker room will be excited to have him back around.”

With Higgins signed, the Bengals can now focus on the other wide receiver hanging in the balance – Ja’Marr Chase. Chase did not hold out of minicamp and he still has another season on his contract after the team exercised his fifth-year option.