Bengals Not Expected To Extend WR Tee Higgins Before Tag Deadline

Ian Rapoport confirms the Bengals and WR Tee Higgins are not expected to reach an agreement on a long-term deal before the franchise tag deadline. 

This doesn’t come as a big surprise. The two sides have until Monday to work out a long-term deal, otherwise Higgins has to play out the 2024 season under the tag. 

But Higgins has already signed his tag and plans to report to training camp without holding out, so there’s little pressure on the upcoming deadline for either side.

It’s clear the plan is for Higgins to play out his contract year and attempt to cash in as an unrestricted free agent in 2025. 

There have been minimal negotiations between the Bengals and Higgins. The veteran receiver is looking to be paid like several other receivers have this offseason, and the Bengals have to balance other priorities on their salary cap. 

Higgins, 25, is a former second-round pick by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He just finished the final year of a four-year, $8,686,785 rookie contract and made a base salary of $2,993,000 in 2023. 

He was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 when the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him, which will cost the team around $21.8 million fully guaranteed for the 2024 season. 

In 2023, Higgins appeared in 12 games for the Bengals and recorded 42 receptions on 76 targets for 656 yards receiving and five touchdowns. 

We have him included in our Top 100 2025 NFL Free Agents list.