Tee Higgins might remain a Cincinnati Bengal after all. On Monday, Sports Illustrated's James Rapien revealed that the organization was planning to use the franchise tag on him for the second straight time in his career. Higgins would be guaranteed a $26.18 million salary for 2025 if he plays on franchise tag.
The window to use such a contractual device begins at 4 pm ET tomorrow and will last until 4 pm on March 4, also a Tuesday.
The five-year wideout's mother Lady Stewart was not exactly the biggest supporter of the impending decision, calling out the organization for its purported stinginess:
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"Selfish bast*rds," Tee Higgins' mom wrote
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Rapien, however, sees a different outcome to this. His belief is that Higgins, who had a rebound performance with 109 catches for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns, will extend with the Bengals for the long-term.
Joe Burrow had called re-signing him "a need" after a 27-20 win at the Dallas Cowboys:
“I'm confident that I think we're gonna be able to do what it takes to bring Tee back. I know that I'm gonna do what it takes to get him back, and so is he. We've had those talks. Those are gonna be offseason discussions, but we're excited about that opportunity.”
NFL analyst gets candid on Tee Higgins' projected contract
If Tee Higgins is staying alongside Joe Burrow, a new question arises: what his contract should look like.
Also on Monday, former player and current analyst Booger McFarland argued that he should be entitled to $30 million annually - just below dominator Ja’Marr Chase, who is entering the fifth-year of his rookie deal and theoretically should surpass Justin Jefferson as the highest-paid WR and non-quarterback in the league:
The Big Lead’s Matt Reed, however, believes such an obscene contract is unwarranted and instead pleads for the Bengals to improve elsewhere:
"The issue is that their defense has been rough and had difficulties keeping up in the AFC North… Would it hurt Burrow a bit not having a player like Higgins as a weapon? Absolutely. But would it benefit the team to build up the offensive line and find some destroyers on the defensive side of the ball? 100 percent."
The new league year begins on March 12.
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