According to Ian Rapoport, the Bengals have franchised WR Tee Higgins for the second straight year.
Rapoport says the team still hopes to work out a long-term deal with Higgins but wants to ensure he plays in Cincinnati no matter what this year.
Higgins was actually the first one to break the news.
tag.
— Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) March 3, 2025
The tag will be $26.2 million fully guaranteed for the 2025 season and give the two sides until the middle of July to work out a long-term deal. Cincinnati had until tomorrow to place the tag on Higgins.
The Bengals have maintained all offseason they plan to sign Higgins to an extension. They still have to negotiate the parameters, however.
Higgins, 25, is a former second-round pick by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He 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 cost the team around $21.8 million fully guaranteed for the 2024 season.
In 2024, Higgins appeared in 12 games for the Bengals and recorded 73 receptions on 109 targets for 911 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.
We have him included in our Top 100 2025 NFL Free Agents list.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on X.com and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
