Bengals Franchise Tag History: How Many Times Have They Used It? Who Got Extensions, and When? Who Got Traded?

Higgins is set to become the first Bengals player to get franchise tagged twice.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 14, 2003 BENGALS SPORTS The Cincinnati Bengals defeated theSan Fransisco 49ers 41-38 at Paul Brown Stadium. Rudi Johnson (32) rushed for 174 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns in leading the Bengals offense. Cincinnati Enquirer/Michael E. Keating mek No Title / Michael E. Keating, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC

CINCINNATI – Today opens a two-week window during which teams can use the franchise tag on a player with an expiring contract.

As our James Rapien reported Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals plan to use the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins for the second year in a row.

Last year, the Bengals were the first team to officially announce their use of the franchise tag, doing so one day before the NFL Combine began in Indianapolis.

While the use of the franchise tag prohibits other teams from negotiating with a player, the team using the tag has until July 15 to agree to a long-term extension.

There was never any serious movement toward that last year, leaving Higgins frustrated and requesting trade before he ultimately signed the tag to “kill the noise” and went out and had one of his best seasons.

This year the Bengals are expected to try to try to sign Higgins to an extension, although looming decisions on wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson could be higher priorities.

The Bengals have used the franchise tag 11 previous times, including on Higgins in 2024.

Some players played on the tag before moving on. Some used the extended time to work out a long-term extension with the team.

But the Bengals have never pulled off a tag and trade, which could be in the works this offseason if there is no progress toward and extension by the time the draft rolls around.

Higgins made $21.8 million last year on the tag.

The tag number for wide receivers is expected to be $25.7 million this year, but Higgins would make $26.18 million because of the rule that a player gets at least a 120 percent increase if he is tagged a second year in a row.

Here is a look at the pre-Higgins Cincinnati players who received the franchise tag and what became of their contract situations:

Jessie Bates III, Safety

The Bengals tagged Bates in 2022, leading the safety to sit out the entire offseason and first three weeks of training camp. Bates eventually signed the tag on Aug. 23, and he played the 2022 season for $12.9 million.

Bates signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in March 2023.

A.J. Green, Wide Receiver

Green played the 2020 season on the tag for $18.2 million and had career lows in receiving yards (523) and touchdowns (two).

He signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021.

Michael Johnson, Defensive End

Johnson earned $11.2 million on the franchise tag in 2013 and then signed a five-year, $43.8 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014.

Tampa Bay cut Johnson after one season, and he returned to the Bengals on a four-year, $20 million contract in 2014.

Cincinnati released him in 2017 after three seasons.

Mike Nugent, Kicker

The local product from Centerville High School and Ohio State is the most recently tagged player to stick with the Bengals the season after receiving the tag.

Nugent played the 2012 season on the tag for $2.7 million, then signed a two-year, $3 million extension in 2013.

That was followed by a two-year, $3.5 million extension in 2015. The Bengals cut him before the end of that deal in December of 2016.

Shayne Graham, Kicker

He played on the franchise tag for $2.5 million in 2009 and then signed with the New England Patriots in 2010 for one year at $775,000.

Stacy Andrews, Guard

Cincinnati’s fourth-round pick in 2004 earned $7.5 million on the franchise tag in 2008. He signed a six-year, $38.9 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles the following year, but he wouldn’t see most of it.

The Eagles traded Andrews to the Seattle Seahawks in 2010. Seattle cut him in 2011, and Andrews signed a one-year, $810,000 deal with the New York Giants in 2011.

Justin Smith, Defensive End

Until the selection of Myles Murphy in 2023, Smith had the designation of being the last defensive lineman the Bengals drafted in the first round. The No. 4 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft earned $8.6 million on the tag in 2007.

The following year he signed for six years and $45 million with the San Francisco 49ers, and he ended his career with them after the 2014 season.

Rudi Johnson, Running Back

Johnson is most recent Cincinnati player to sign the tag and an extension in the same season. The Bengals tagged him for $6.3 million in 2005 before agreeing to a five-year, $26 million extension on March 16.

Johnson played three of the five years on the deal before the Bengals cut him before the 2008 season.

He signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Detroit Lions and retired after the 2008 season.

Carl Pickens, Wide Receiver

The Bengals tagged Pickens for $3.5 million in 1999 and then agreed to a five-year, $23.2 million extension.

The following April, the Bengals cut Pickens, prompting the NFL Players Association to file a grievance seeking to take away the team’s right to use the franchise tag. The NFLPA eventually dropped the grievance.

Dan Wilkinson, Defensive Tackle

The No. 1 pick in the 1994 NFL Draft signed the franchise tag for $3 million in 1998, then the Bengals traded him to Washington for a first and third-round pick.

The Bengals drafted linebacker Brian Simmons with the first-round pick (No. 17) and offensive lineman Mike Goff with the third-round pick (No. 78).

Wilkinson played nine more seasons for Washington, Detroit, and Miami.

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