Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins might have signed his franchise tag, yet that won’t stop the intrigue around his future.
After all, the timing of Higgins signing the tag was notable because it leaves wiggle room for an extension by that July 15 deadline.
But experts have also noted that a second franchise tag next offseason is still a factor to consider.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler detailed the saga during an appearance on “SportsCenter” over the weekend (h/t B/R’s Tyler Conway):
He is not likely to be franchise tagged that next year because that would be a huge number and the Bengals are trying to budget for No. 1 Ja’Marr Chase, who some believe is the best receiver in the NFL next to Justin Jefferson. And so, they want to prioritize him; Burrow, Chase together long-term. It’s complicated though because Chase has two years left on his rookie contract and they don’t have to do it right now. The market is huge as we’re seeing $30-plus million for some of these receivers but the Bengals are going to try to shake this out and see what they can come to an agreement with. At least Higgins is in the fold, he’s signed. It was a bit of a surprise that he even signed this early. Some thought he would maybe wait until mid, late August, drag this out. But here he is, he’s in the fold.
The fact there haven’t been any extension talks isn’t new or a shocker — the Bengals traditionally don’t talk contracts during the season, so those talks broke off last summer and he hasn’t been around the team (or technically under contract until he signs the tag) this summer.
Presumably, talks could still resume before next month’s deadline. And on the topic of a second tag, the fact it escalates right around the time the team likely does Ja’Marr Chase’s extension next summer makes it a likely non-factor.
