Tee Higgins was expected to be one of the bigger wide receiver names to hit the open market when NFL free agency begins this coming spring. 2023 was the final year of his rookie deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, and the 25-year-old was expected to explore opportunities to lock down his next pay day.

NFL: Bengals Expected To Franchise Tag Tee Higgins

: #Bengals are expected to franchise tag WR Tee Higgins to prevent him from hitting free agency, per @TheAthletic https://t.co/Fjk1sfpmIp pic.twitter.com/8IKXPADd96

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 13, 2024

Cincy might not let him get the chance to negotiate.

According to a report released by Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic on Tuesday, the team is expected to use their franchise tag on Tee Higgins. It would keep him on the Bengals roster for at least another season, and would pay the wide receiver $20.7 million for 2024, which would put him amongst the five-highest paid at his position for the year.

It might actually be a beneficial move for Higgins. The next two NFL off-seasons are going to bring wide receiver contract negotiations to the forefront, and we pay see a spike in the top salaries for the position with the likes of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and others facing free agency between now and 2026. The new contracts for those wideouts could set the bar for future negotiations, and Higgins could be a benefactor after making $20+ million in franchise tag money.

Other Scenarios For Higgins Are Possible

: The #Bengals are expected to use the franchise tag on Star WR Tee Higgins to prevent him from hitting free agency, per @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/4clTMrWSnR

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) February 13, 2024

A tag-and-trade scenario would also be possible. It has happened to two wide receivers since 2018, with the most recent being when the Packers tagged Davante Adams before subsequently trading him to the Raiders back in 2022.

There is of course the possibility that the team simply lets Higgins walk and focuses their financial attention on Chase and others. But according to Dehner Jr., there is “zero indication” from the team that Higgins will even come close to free agency this coming spring.

Higgins had a bit of a down year in 2023 while dealing with various injuries. He was able to play in 12 of his team’s 17 regular season games, catching 42 balls for 656 yards and 5 touchdowns, all the lowest marks of his career. In addition to the injuries, the Bengals were also without star quarterback Joe Burrow for the second half of the NFL season, which certainly hurt the statistical output of the skill position players on the offense.