Receiver Tee Higgins has been playing for the Bengals since 2020, and despite being placed on the franchise tag this offseason, he expressed his desire to stay in Cincinnati. After a month of negotiations with the team, nothing has changed, but Higgins stated on Sunday that he is looking forward to playing for the Bengals this season. He has grown fond of the city and is excited to continue his career there. The deadline for a new deal is fast approaching, with July 15 set as the date when the one-year, fully guaranteed franchise tag will pay Higgins $21.8 million.
Meanwhile, safety Jessie Bates played last season on the franchise tag before ultimately signing a four-year, $64.02 million contract with the Falcons in 2023. Bates earned his first Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and is now part of another team. Out of eight players who used the franchise tag this offseason, only two are yet to sign a contract extension – Higgins and Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
Higgins played just 12 games last season due to injury but still managed an impressive performance with 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns. Although his statistics were lower than usual, he had two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in his first three years playing for Cincinnati and has amassed an impressive total of 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns over his four seasons with the team. He was drafted as a second-round pick in 2020 and has become an integral part of Cincinnati’s offense ever since.
