Following the organization’s decision to franchise tag him, Bengals receiver Tee Higgins has asked for a trade.
However, it appears that Cincinnati has no immediate plans to trade Higgins.
Speaking at the annual league meeting this week, head coach Zac Taylor expressed his enthusiasm for having Higgins as a key part of the Bengals’ offense in 2024.
“We’re thrilled to see Tee contribute significantly to our team this year,” Taylor stated, as reported by Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We believe he gives us the best opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl. I’ve had a great working relationship with Tee over the past four years, and I anticipate this year will be no different.”
As Higgins is not currently under contract, he is not obliged to participate in Cincinnati’s mandatory minicamp or training camp. A similar situation occurred with former Bengals safety Jessie Bates before the 2022 season when he was franchise tagged and waited until August 23 to sign his tender.
Higgins stands to earn $21.8 million if he plays under the franchise tag this season.
Taylor commented on the team’s approach towards such business decisions, stating, “Those are the decisions they make, and we will continue to prepare the players that are present and gear up for training camp. I’m looking forward to a fantastic year with Tee.”
The Bengals find themselves in a situation where they have two wide receivers seeking new contracts, with Ja’Marr Chase also eligible for an extension after completing his third season. Bengals’ executive vice president Katie Blackburn expressed the team’s desire to retain both players during the annual league meeting.
“We have a strong liking for these players. We need to navigate within the constraints of the salary cap,” Blackburn mentioned, as reported by Geoff Hobson of the team’s website. “Therefore, we need to determine what that entails and how we can retain everyone. It’s a challenge we need to address and observe how it unfolds.”
Although Higgins achieved over 1,000 receiving yards in both 2021 and 2022, his playing time was constrained in 2023 due to injuries, limiting him to 12 games where he recorded 42 receptions for 656 yards and scored five touchdowns.
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