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Tee Higgins and the Cincinnati Bengals are once again tied through the franchise tag. On Monday, the wide receiver broke the news that the franchise used the mechanism for the second straight season, preventing him from reaching the market as the two sides work on a long-term deal.
Higgins has been adamant on his wish to remain in Cincinnati, but he wants a long-term deal. He played under the tag in 2024 and does not want to do the same in 2025. Quarterback Joe Burrow also applied public pressure on the franchise to pay the wide receiver, but so far, there has been no long-term deal.
After Higgins took to X/Twitter to report on the tag, NFL fans could not believe that the Bengals once again failed to pay him, extending the stand-off between player and franchise once again:
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"Bro getting paid like a top 5 WR two years straight is solid. And you can still get a mega deal afterward. You’re in a good spot, brother," said one fan.
"Damn, was looking forward to watching you [in] my Rams," said a second fan.
"Could be one of the best franchises in football. It's a shame they are so cheap," a third fan wrote.
How much is Tee Higgins making in 2025 with the franchise tag?
The franchise tag is set to pay $23.9 million for wide receivers in the 2025 season, but the case comes with a caveat. Since Higgins also played under the franchise tag the previous season, he'll receive $26.2 million in 2025 if a long-term deal is not negotiated.
There has been plenty of optimism from both sides about negotiating a new contract. The franchise tag does not mean that he'll earn $26 million in 2025; it keeps him on the Bengals' roster as the two sides keep negotiating a new deal.
The Bengals are also on the verge of extending Ja'Marr Chase's contract. He's set to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Joe Burrow does not want to lose any of his star receivers; even though it's possible to keep both, Cincinnati will need to splash the cash in 2025.
Bengals Nation! Check out the latest Cincinnati Bengals Schedule and dive into the Bengals Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.
