The Cincinnati Bengals could head into free agency with one of their most important players in need of a long-term deal.
Star wide receiver Tee Higgins was franchise tagged last season and the same could happen this offseason if a long-term deal isn’t reached. However, Higgins has seemed unhappy at times with the way his talks with the team have gone, and it’s possible the Bengals decide to move on at some point.
Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac recently identified one trade candidate for each NFL team. For the Bengals, Ginnitti listed Higgins as the most likely player to be moved this offseason.
Regarding a potential Higgins move, Ginnitti offered the following:
The Bengals haven’t officially offered a 2nd franchise tag to Higgins just yet, but when they do (valued at $26,179,200), he’ll immediately become their top trade candidate. The last time a WR was tagged & trade prior to signing his 2nd contract was Jarvis Landry back in 2018. The Browns gave Miami a 4th and 7th round pick, then extended Landry out 5 years, $75.5M. It’ll take quite a bit more to pull Higgins out of Cincinnati in 2025, and quite a bit more to get him under contract long-term as well (currently projecting toward a 4 year, $120M contract).
As Ginnitti mentioned, it’s entirely possible the Bengals tag Higgins again and then work out a trade. Jarvis Landry was tagged by the Miami Dolphins in 2018 and was then shipped off to the Cleveland Browns, where he signed an extension.
If Higgins makes it known he’s no longer interested in signing a long-term deal in Cincinnati, or if the two sides can’t come to an agreement, the team may have no choice but to go this route.
In 2024, Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. The receiver has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark twice in his five-year career and has had at least 900 yards in four of those five seasons.
Over the Cap projects the Bengals to have around $61 million in cap space this offseason. This means that tagging Higgins and still making notable additions would be possible for the team.
However, freeing up the money that would be used on Higgins could allow the team to make even more moves in a bid to return to contention in 2025.
