“It's disrespectful” - Bengals legend Chad Johnson makes feelings known on Cincinnati franchise tagging Tee Higgins

Retired Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson did not mince words when talking about his former team’s decision to franchise tag Tee Higgins. He called the move ‘disrespectful’ and used a dating analogy to explain his point of view in his appearance on ESPN’s “First Take.”

"It's disrespectful … It's like when you like a girl, you're interested in her, and she puts you in the friend zone. I don't really value you long-term, so I'm gonna put you in the friend zone.”

He also questioned if the Bengals were really committed to signing Higgins long term.

“If you wanted to work out a deal, you would have done it a long time ago … I understand what he can make on the open market.”

“I love Tee Higgins. I love the Bengals, I love the organization, but if you don't value him long-term, why even play this game? Let him go, let him walk. Because I have a great understanding, he has a great understanding of what he can make on the open market."

First-take regular and Johnson’s "Nightcap Podcast" co-host Shannon Sharpe agreed and asked to see more commitment from the Bengals with another dating analogy.

“He has another great season, and now you franchise him again. It's either you believe in me or you don't. You're either gonna commit long term, but we're not finna keep dating. I'm not finna keep having a place over here and you got a place over there.”

“I needed you to make a long-term commitment. I like commitment guys. I'm a commitment guy.”

Chad Johnson’s history with the Bengals is well-documented. He is one of the most recognizable players in the franchise’s history after playing there for ten seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors six times and All-Pro honors thrice. He was inducted into the Bengals’ Ring of Honor in 2023.

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Franchise tag will have ramifications for the Bengals’ relationship with Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins was previously the top-ranked free agent on most boards. A 26-year-old hitting their prime is going to be the prize of every free agency cycle. The Bengals decided to delay the decision by placing the franchise tag on Higgins, which would come up to a guarantee of $26.2 million in 2025.

The Bengals have $43 million in cap space, so theoretically they could keep their tagged wide receiver the entire season on the franchise tag. However, the tag would severely limit the offseason moves they can make.

The team had one of the worst defenses in the league and missed out on the playoffs despite an MVP-caliber season from quarterback Joe Burrow and a historic year from wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.