Departure from Cincinnati Bengals Andrei Iosivas was dismissed following a furious dispute between…
The Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly expected to use the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins before the start of free agency.
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reported the “writing is on the wall and all expectations” are for the Bengals to use their tag on Higgins, and the team baked in the tag when negotiating Joe Burrow’s contract.
Burrow’s cap number for the 2024 season is just $29.7 million, the same as his fifth-year option.
His number will go up to $46.3 million in 2025.
The franchise tag for wide receivers is projected at $21.7 million.
It seems likely the Bengals’ tag solution for Higgins will only last one season.
Not only is Burrow’s number set to skyrocket, Ja’Marr Chase is also due a long-term contract extension sooner rather than later.
The Bengals will likely opt into Chase’s fifth-year option in his contract this offseason, guaranteeing him around $22 million in 2025, but will almost certainly negotiate an extension that will make the LSU product one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers.
Higgins will likely be the odd man out in the cap crunch.
He’s coming off an injury-riddled 2023 campaign that saw him set career lows in catches (42), yards (656) and touchdowns (five) while only appearing in 12 games.
Chase has also never topped 1,110 yards or caught more than seven touchdown passes in a season, making him more of a WR2 than Chase’s WR1 status.
When you’re paying a quarterback as much as the Bengals are Burrow, something has to give.
Running back Joe Mixon could become the first core player to exit this offseason if the Bengals decide his $8.5 million cap number is too high.
Barring a contract agreement below his market value, Higgins will likely become the next—just not until the 2025 offseason.
Look for the Bengals to be active in the draft in hopes of finding replacements for Mixon and Higgins on rookie deals.
