The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to utilize the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.

At the moment, Higgins is still under contract with the Bengals, but he is due to become a free agent in March. Cincinnati can sign him to an extension deal, but it seems that it's not the option they are willing to take in order to keep one of their most reliable downfield weapons over the past few years.

The worst-case scenario on the Higgins front for Cincinnati is that they won't offer him a franchise tag nor an extension and just allow him to test the waters of free agency, which virtually means he's not going to return in Bengals uniform. However, that scenario also means Cincy will get a compensatory pick in 2025, but that's about it.

There is also an option to use the franchise tag on Higgins and trade him.

A key factor behind the Higgins situation is the financial commitment of the Bengals to star quarterback Joe Burrow. Although Burrow will still not have his monster $275 million extension deal with Cincinnati start in 2024, it will in 2025. At least in 2024, the Bengals can accommodate a franchise tag price on Higgins, who has played his entire NFL career so far with the NFC North franchise.

The Bengals selected Higgins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft (33rd overall). He has two 1,000-yard seasons. In 2023, however, he played in only 12 games and amassed a career-low 656 receiving yards with five touchdowns on 42 receptions and 76 targets.