Tee Higgins Expresses Concerns Over Bengals’ Long-Term Deal Promises: What’s Next for the Star Receiver?

On Tuesday afternoon, the Bengals’ leadership made some statements regarding wide receiver Tee Higgins. Later that night, Higgins responded with a simple emoji—a cap symbol—on Twitter. This emoji is often used to signal that someone believes a lie has been told.

It seems the source of this frustration stems from Duke Tobin, the Bengals director of player personnel. He mentioned that the team plans to negotiate a long-term contract with Higgins. However, Higgins may feel differently about this assurance.

In 2024, the Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins, valued at $21.8 million. If they tag him again in 2025, the amount would increase to $26.16 million. This high figure sets the stage for possible contract negotiations, as Higgins must weigh the risk of signing away his chance to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

Higgins might think the Bengals are not genuinely committed to long-term talks. Instead, he could interpret their actions as a way to either tag him for another season or even trade him. The timing of his emoji—posted right after Tobin’s comments—strongly suggests he believes there’s an inconsistency in what he’s being told.

The Bengals have until March 4 to decide whether to tag Higgins again. If they do, they will have until mid-July to negotiate a long-term deal. It could make strategic sense for Higgins to wait and see what the team decides. If tagged a second time, it would limit the Bengals’ ability to use the franchise tag on him in the future.

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