Bengals inform Tee Higgins that he’ll receive franchise tag
The Bengals are set to retain their top two receivers, at least for the time being. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Tee Higgins has been informed by the Bengals that they plan to use the franchise tag on him, preventing him from hitting unrestricted free agency. This move entails offering him a one-year contract with full guarantees amounting to $21.816 million. By making this decision prior to the Scouting Combine, the Bengals are sending a clear message to other teams not to pursue Higgins aggressively during the tampering period associated with the Combine week.
Both the Bengals and Higgins will have until July 15 to negotiate a longer-term contract. If Higgins is tagged again in 2025, he stands to receive a 20% raise, making his potential salary $26.18 million, and he would reasonably expect a significant portion of that to be guaranteed upfront, perhaps around $48 million. If not, he could opt to play under the tag and assess his options for the following year.
This development coincides with Ja’Marr Chase, another talented receiver, seeking a substantial second contract, raising questions about the Bengals’ ability to retain both of them in the long term.
Meanwhile, it would be prudent for the New England Patriots to prioritize selecting a wide receiver early in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, possibly even using their No. 3 overall pick or targeting one during the second or third rounds. Among the notable prospects in this year’s draft class is Rome Odunze from Washington.
Phil Perry, a Patriots insider, has already released three mock drafts for 2024, one of which envisions a scenario where the Patriots trade down to the eighth overall pick with the Atlanta Falcons and select Odunze at that position
