Tee Higgins makes big decision on his status with Bengals

Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) against the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has made a major decision on his status with the team after skipping the entirety of offseason activities.

Higgins signed his franchise tag on Saturday, according to multiple reports, and will be in training camp when it begins. Higgins remains “open” to a long-term contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but is content to play on the tag for now.

With #Bengals WR Tee Higgins signing his franchise tag today, it means he’ll show up for training camp with his teammates. He’s open to an extension off the tag, and we shall see if it happens. But he’s now locked in and under contract. pic.twitter.com/86mhZSCqtp

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 15, 2024

Higgins’ decision to sign his tender ends an offseason of speculation that even included a trade request after he and the Bengals failed to agree on a long-term deal. Despite that, Higgins never really seemed to seriously fall out with the organization, at one point suggesting that he would be back with Cincinnati for the 2024 season even after making that demand. That turned out to be prescient.

After back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, Higgins had something of a down year in 2023. Injuries limited him to 12 games and 656 receiving yards, but he has shown what he is capable of when healthy. His decision means he stands to make just shy of $22 million in 2024 unless he and the Bengals can hash out a long-term agreement.