Tee Higgins Not Expected To Sign Franchise Tender Before Start Of OTAs

Adam Schefter reports that Bengals WR Tee Higgins is not expected to sign his franchise tender before the start of organized team activities next week. 

This means that Higgins would be ineligible for OTAs, as he’s unable to rejoin the team until he signs his tender.

Last we heard, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Higgins was initially looking for a similar contract to the three-year, $70 million deal the Colts gave WR Michael Pittman this offseason.

However, the Bengals never approached the $20 million per year range for Higgins in their contract talks.

Indications are that Higgins will play out the year under the franchise tag before hitting the open market again next year. 

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.