Last week, news broke that the Cincinnati Bengals intended to use their franchise tag on star wide receiver Tee Higgins during the offseason. However, the move did not quiet speculation that the team would look to trade Higgins even after he signed his franchise tender, but the Bengals seemed to shut down that possibility on Monday.
Once Tee Higgins signs the franchise tag, the Cincinnati Bengals could choose to trade him to another team – a move which would make sense if Cincinnati was concerned about the possibility of signing him to a long-term contract.
But based on the comments from head coach Zac Taylor, it sounds like the Bengals intend to keep Higgins in Cincinnati, not trade him elsewhere.
“Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020,” Taylor said according to the Cincinnati Bengals team website. “I’m glad that he’ll continue to be a big part of our offense and our team.”
Though the franchise tag will lock Higgins into Cincinnati for another season, it does not secure his long-term future with the team. The Bengals now have until July 15 to come to terms on a multi-year deal with the star receiver. We’ll have to see whether or not they can work something out.
