Did the Bengals Make the Right Call Giving Tee Higgins a Franchise Tag?

James Rapien and Solomon Wilcots of Bleav in Bengals discuss Tee Higgins being franchise-tagged.

Much like many NFL teams, the Cincinnati Bengals have to make some tough calls this offseason. One of those calls was the decision to hit Tee Higgins with a franchise tag. The team decided to do just that. 

James Rapien and Solomon Wilcots of Bleav in Bengals talk about the decision to tag Higgins on the latest episode of Bleav in Bengals.

"But Tee Higgins is one of those players that you picked early on as a rookie. He showed, 'Oh, this kid could be different' and he has been and he's been a big part of what they've done. And so I'm on board with paying him. Pay for the next four years, getting the rest of his prime, signed him to an extension, and making the money work with Ja'Marr Chase."

via James Rapien, Bleav in Bengals

The Bengals franchise tagged Higgins in hopes that they might still be able to work out a long-term deal with him. It's a smart move considering many teams will likely want to pull Higgins away. 

Despite the draft being chock full of quality wide receivers, there is no telling if any of them will be as good as Higgins. Higgins pulled in 695 yards and 5 TDs despite missing five games. 

"And the Bengals will pay him just over $20 million to be on the roster this season and go from there. And usually, when you go from there, that means that player leaves in free agency. The following year we saw a similar situation with Jessie Bates last season, so I would expect Higgins to be on the roster this year."

via James Rapien, Bleav in Bengals

Higgins might head to another team in 2025, but the franchise tag can act as the final audition for him to land a longer contract with the Bengals after the 2024 season.