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St. Brown: Higgins Getting Tagged Twice 'Should Be Illegal'

Amon-Ra St. Brown is not a fan of how the Bengals have treated wideout Tee Higgins.

John Maakaron

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1), quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (5)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1), quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Detroit Lions have not had a track record of placing the franchise tag on their players in recent years.

Wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, who earned a long-term contract extension with the Lions last offseason, was beside himself on the latest St. Brown Bros. podcast. He could not believe that Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins was franchise-tagged for the second straight season.

"That should be illegal. I don't give a (expletive) what nobody says," said St. Brown. "Saquon (Barkley) got that). I would be so hot, I don't care what nobody says. It is good money, but still. You would rather get a bigger deal with more guaranteed money. Get locked in. Especially if you have been balling for the team for the past five or six years, like damn."

The last time the Lions franchise tagged a player was back in 2018 on Ziggy Ansah.

Higgins and offensive lineman Trey Smith were among the very few players franchise tagged in 2024. Last year, eight NFL players were tagged.

The talented wideout is still free to negotiate a contract with other teams, but can still also work on a long-term contract extension with the Bengals. The deadline to avoid playing on another one-year tag for Higgins is July 15.

Other NFL teams may not be willing to negotiate with Higgins, as they must sign him to a lucrative contract and also send the Bengals two first-round draft picks, if they decide not to match the offer sheet.

If the 26-year-old plays on the franchise tag in 2025, he would earn a guaranteed $26.2 million for one year.

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John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

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