$120,010,000 WR rips Bengals for franchise tagging Tee Higgins again - "That should be illegal"

The Bengals franchise-tagged Tee Higgins for the second consecutive year to ensure that the wide receiver will remain in Cincinnati. Based on his performances last season and Joe Burrow's entreaties that the organization keep him, he would have been due a hefty contract extension. Instead, they are signing him for just another year, and they could do that one more time too.

One player who is not happy that the Bengals could just refuse to give their prized asset a new contract and franchise tag him again is a fellow wide receiver on a $120 million contract. Amon-Ra St. Brown, who signed a four-year deal with the Lions, was displeased about how this whole thing went down and said on his podcast on Wednesday,

"That should be illegal. I don't give a f*** what nobody says. That's so f***ed."

Tee Higgins' franchise tag different from Bengals' GM's previous comments

There is no doubt that the Bengals value Higgins highly. In fact, their director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, commented during the 2025 NFL scouting combine that he wanted to keep the wide receiver in Cincinnati because of how well he has done. He also said that his priority was getting a long-term agreement signed with the player and he would work towards that, commenting,

"I think Tee Higgins is a fantastic football player, and I want him on my team. Whenever I'm in charge of a football team, I want Tee Higgins, so I'm going to do what I can to get Tee Higgins. Our preference with Tee Higgins is do a long-term agreement. Always has been, and it continues to be. We'll work hard to get that done."

The franchise tag makes it clear that the wide receiver and the organization were still not close to agreeing to a new contract. By placing the marker on him, the Bengals ensured that he would not be able to test free agency. This allows them to sit down with the player and hash out a number that both parties can agree on.

However, whether the star wideout will feel charitable is an open question. After the news was announced, he did not comment in detail, neither expressing excitement nor disappointment; rather, he simply posted a one-word comment on X/Twitter.

Expect more twists and turns in this saga as the Bengals look to get back to the postseason after two consecutive playoff misses since they made it to the AFC championship game two years ago.