Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins asked to be traded after the team chose to use the franchise tag on him. However, it seems like Cincinnati doesn’t plan to trade Higgins anytime soon.
During the league’s annual meeting this week, head coach Zac Taylor expressed his excitement about having Higgins on the Bengals’ offense in 2024.
“We’re looking forward to Tee having a great season with us,” Taylor said. “We believe he’s our top option to help us win a Super Bowl. I’ve enjoyed working with Tee for the past four years, and I expect this year to be no different.”
Since Higgins doesn’t have a contract, he isn’t required to attend Cincinnati’s mandatory mini-camp or training camp. Former Bengals safety Jessie Bates faced a similar situation before the 2022 season when he was franchise-tagged and didn’t sign his tender until August 23.
Higgins would earn $21.8 million if he plays on the franchise tender this season.
“Those are decisions they make as part of their business, and we’ll continue to prepare the players who are here and get ready for training camp,” Taylor said. “We’re excited to have a great season with Tee.”
The Bengals are in a situation where two receivers are up for new contracts, as Ja’Marr Chase is also eligible for an extension after completing his third season. Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn stated during the annual league meeting that Cincinnati wants to keep both players.
“We value these guys. We have to work within the salary cap,” Blackburn said. “So we need to figure out what that means and how we can keep them together. That’s what we need to work on and see where it leads us.”
After surpassing 1,000 yards in 2021 and 2022, injuries limited Higgins to 12 games in 2023. He caught 42 passes for 656 yards with five touchdowns.
