Known to be one of the most chaotic periods of the football calendar, NFL Free Agency is just around the corner. And some are happier about it than others. Arguably the most disgruntled of all the potential free agents is none other than the Cincinnati Bengals’ secondary receiving threat, Tee Higgins.
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Now expected to receive a second consecutive franchise tag, Higgins stands to potentially miss out on millions of dollars. He is currently at the mercy of a franchise who wishes to retain his talents despite not wanting to pay him his current market value. In an attempt to contextualize and better explain the numbers behind Higgins’ frustrations, former NFL player Chase Danie took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to break down the ongoing negotiations.
Highlighting that “there have only been 14 players in the history of the game to get back-to-back franchise tags,” Daniel explains that the Bengals’ decision is actively hindering Higgins’ chances at long-term financial security.
“You play on a one-year, fully guaranteed deal. Right now it’s worth $26 million and some change, he’s worth probably $30 a year. If he decides to play on that franchise tag again, what happens if he gets hurt? The long-term security and the long-term money are not coming. This is why he wants to get a $90 million dollar, guaranteed contract.”
Obviously, anyone would be upset at the idea of their employer potentially costing them millions of dollars. Transversely, teams will always be more than happy to save on cap space wherever they can. Considering the dollar amounts being thrown around, some fans were less sympathetic than others.
Oh boo hoo. Higgins getting 26M dollars!
— Jeremy Allen (@JeremyLshow) March 4, 2025
Meanwhile, some were more understanding of players’ frustrations towards franchise tags.
Maybe they keep the Franchise tag but it needs to hit the team harder. 120% of top 5 average isn’t a big enough deterrent to franchise players, especially running backs or players with short shelf life.
— tyler (@tylerldurden) March 3, 2025
Shortly after the Super Bowl, Higgins took to social media to tell his fans and followers that he would be the first to inform them about any new developments. Being sure to make good on the promise, the former Clemson tiger issued a one-word update: tag.
Despite having just nine starts throughout the 2024 regular season, Higgins still managed to produce 911 receiving yards and a career high 10 touchdowns. For comparison, receivers such as Michael Pittman and George Pickens, who operated as their team’s primary receiving targets while also starting in no less than 12 games this past season, both failed to surpass Higgins’ totals in 2024.
Having established himself as the league’s premiere WR2, Higgins is certainly entitled to some additional compensation. Whether that eventually comes from the Bengals or another franchise, however, remains to be seen.
