Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was supposed to be the most highly-sought-after free agent in the 2025 free agent class. When healthy, he’s one of the best pass-catchers in the league, and could easily be a true number-one option for a team.

He’s not going to get to hit free agency, though, at least, this year. The Cincinnati Bengals have slapped him with the franchise tag, and he doesn’t seem too enthused about it.

Higgins has struggled to stay on the field the last few years, but when he’s healthy, he’s dominant. This year, he had over 900 yards and 10 touchdowns in just nine games this year as part of a fantastic Bengals offense that was frequently undetermined with their porous defense.

Tee just turned 26, and was set to get a big long-term contract this offseason, whether from the Bengals or from a team in need of a wide receiver. But, the Bengals gave him the Franchise Tag again for a second-straight year. Here’s ESPN with more.

Higgins’ franchise tender would pay him $26.2 million for the 2025 season if he’s unable to agree to a long-term contract with the Bengals by the July 15 deadline for such deals.

Teams have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to place the franchise tag on pending free agents.

That’s a big salary, as it’s the average of the top five salaries at the position from the previous year. But, players want long-term financial security in the form of multi-year contracts with huge guarantees. The franchise tag provides neither.

It seems like Higgins isn’t too happy about it, based on this tweet.

The Bengals are saying that they are going to try to work out a long-term deal. But, Tee Higgins would’ve been the subject of a bidding war in free agency, and now can only negotiate with the Bengals. That’s a big blow to his earning potential