The Cincinnati Bengals were incredibly close to winning a Super Bowl two years ago, but it appears a part of the team's core could be on the way out.
Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN wrote that the belief among those at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week is that the Bengals placed its franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins to ultimately ship him out.
“A lot of people in Indy seemed to think the reason the Bengals franchised Tee Higgins as early as they did was so they could trade him. With a Ja'Marr Chase extension likely coming this offseason or next, Cincinnati might not be able to keep the band together around Joe Burrow much longer,” Graziano and Fowler wrote.
The Bengals designated Higgins as its franchise player, also known as the franchise tag, on Feb. 26. The tag guarantees Higgins $21.8 million in the 2024 season.
Higgins has played all four of his NFL seasons with the Bengals; he recorded more than 65 receptions in his first three and surpassed 1,000 yards in 2021 and 2022.
Higgins struggled to stay on the field consistently this past season after sustaining a rib injury early in the season and tweaking his hamstring in the second half of the year. In 12 games, the fewest he's played in a season, Higgins caught 42 passes for 656 yards and 5 touchdowns. His 15.6-yard-per-catch average was the highest of his career.
Higgins wasn't the only big-time player to miss time in 2023; starting quarterback Joe Burrow only played 10 games before undergoing surgery on his right wright. The Bengals were 5-5 with Burrow at the helm, and despite going 4-3 with backup quarterback Jake Browning to finish the season, Cincinnati missed out on the playoffs.
Follow Us
Subscribe