The Cincinnati Bengals have been without star wideout Tee Higgins thus far this offseason as the star has decided to skip mandatory workouts this week as he looks for a new contract with the team. And while he didn’t get his new contract just yet, he will be ending his holdout after signing his franchise tag with the organization.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Higgins will be returning for the team’s upcoming training camp after signing the franchise tag but still desires a more long-term deal.
With #Bengals WR Tee Higgins signing his franchise tag today, it means he’ll show up for training camp with his teammates. He’s open to an extension off the tag, and we shall see if it happens. But he’s now locked in and under contract. pic.twitter.com/86mhZSCqtp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 15, 2024
This is obviously a positive for the Bengals as they will be getting back the star wideout right for the most important time of the NFL offseason. But as far as Higgins’ fit on the team long-term, that is still very much in question.
Rapoport added that a long-term contract extension between the Bengals and Higgins is still in the works. But the chances of the two sides coming to an agreement is “unlikely”.
This means a couple of different things. Higgins could very well find himself as a potential trade candidate this coming season if the two sides don’t end up agreeing on a deal.
It also means that Higgins is essentially proving his skills to other interested teams around the league as he looks for a more long-term fit.
Only time will tell whether Higgins ends up in Cincinnati much past the upcoming 2024-25 season. But he will be in uniform for training camp, which is a good sign for Bengals fans.
