CINCINNATI — Tee Higgins will remain in Cincinnati next season.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first announced the news Friday, but on Monday the Bengals made an official announcement that the team's star receiver is the first player to get the franchise tag this year.
The franchise tag number is expected to be around $21.8M, fully guaranteed, for the #Bengals and Tee Higgins. The first tagged player of this window. https://t.co/dsoQEeThv5
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 24, 2024
"Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020," said Bengals head coach Zach Taylor in a press release. "I'm glad that he'll continue to be a big part of our offense and our team."
A franchise tag keeps Higgins from hitting the open market this offseason, and gives him and the team a chance to agree on a long-term deal. This year's franchise tag number for wide receivers is expected to be $21.8 million.
This news means the trio of Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow will play together for at least one more season.
In four years with the Bengals, Higgins has 257 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. Higgins played in 12 games for Cincinnati last season, recording 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns while dealing with separate hamstring and rib injuries.
The NFL on Friday announced a spike in the salary cap for the 2024 season, which means Cincinnati has more free cap space than originally projected. The Bengals still have decisions to make about its other unrestricted free agents including Tyler Boyd, Chidobe Awuzie and Jonah Williams.
