The 2023 NFL season was a forgettable one for the Cincinnati Bengals, as it seemed doomed the moment that superstar quarterback Joe Burrow strained his calf during training camp right before signing a massive contract extension with the team.
Cincinnati isn’t the same team without Burrow under center, which was painfully obvious when he wasn’t on the field during the 2023 NFL regular season, but they expect him back healthy and ready to go for the 2024 campaign.
However, there was one big question heading into the NFL offseason, with star wide receiver Tee Higgins’ future up in the air.
Now talk about Higgins’ immediate future with the Bengals can be put to rest as the team didn’t hesitate when posed with the question about what they’d do with their franchise tag this year.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Bengals have told Higgins they’ll be placing a franchise tag on him.
Source: The #Bengals informed star WR Tee Higgins that they are franchising him.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 24, 2024
As a result of the Bengals placing a franchise tag on Higgins, the 25-year-old wide receiver will make considerably more next season, as he is set to earn $21.8 million for the 2024 NFL season.
That’s a pretty impressive number for a player who played in only 12 games this past season and didn’t come close to reaching the 1,000-yard receiving mark, finishing with 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns.
Although Higgins isn’t at the talent level of Bengals teammate Ja’Marr Chase, he’s still a valuable piece to the puzzle in Cincinnati and the team knew they couldn’t lose him this offseason.
NEXT: Bengals Reportedly Plan To Sign WR To Long-Term Deal