Bengals Expected to Place Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag on WR Tee Higgins

It’s the second straight year that the Bengals will be using the tag on the star wide receiver, and comes on the heels of a season that Higgins ultimately played out on the last tag in 2024. Despite playing just 12 games, Higgins ranked as the overall WR2 in fantasy points per game behind teammate Ja’Marr Chase with a very strong 73-911-10 line. He posted less than 12 points just three times last season while also boosting the performance of his teammates while he was on the field; in games where Higgins played more than 20 snaps, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase both averaged 3 more points per game than in games where Higgins played fewer than 20.

Needless to say, his presence in the offense is highly impactful, and both Burrow and Chase have talked this offseason about the importance of the Bengals bringing back Higgins on a new deal. According to NFL sources, the current sentiment around the league is that the Bengals placing the tag on Higgins is an indicator that Cincy plans to sign Higgins to a long-term extension; however, with contracts looming for fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase and DE Trey Hendrickson, it’s certainly looking like it will be easier said than done. The bottom line is clear: Higgins remaining in Cincinnati would be the ideal scenario for fantasy. He’d stay in a familiar system on a good offense with Joe Burrow at QB – three selling points that no other team can claim to have all three of.