Tee Higgins. Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Bengals HC comments on franchise-tagging of star WR

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 2/26/24

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor addressed the team's decision to officially place the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins on Monday.

"Tee has done an outstanding job for us since we drafted him in 2020," Taylor said, according to the Bengals' official team website. "I'm glad that he'll continue to be a big part of our offense and our team."

Per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, "several team executives" felt that if Cincinnati had decided to trade the 25-year-old this offseason, they could've received either a first- or early second-round draft pick in return.

Several team executives believe the #Bengals could get a 1st-round pick or an early 2nd-round pick if they were to consider trading WR Tee Higgins.

Discussing all the scenarios with @PFF_Sam & @PFF_Steve on @The33rdTeamFB: pic.twitter.com/N63AxyQUqS
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 26, 2024

Higgins said in early February that the Tennessee Titans could've been his "ideal" landing spot should he leave the Bengals this winter. He grew up in Oak Ridge, Tenn., less than 200 miles from Nashville, where the Titans play.

Brian Callahan, who was hired as the Titans' head coach in January, had been Cincinnati's offensive coordinator for Higgins' entire career. He helped the team finish seventh in points per game during the AFC title-winning 2021 campaign.

Instead of following his former coordinator (or heading elsewhere), Higgins will earn $21.8M guaranteed in 2024 and play at least one more campaign alongside star quarterback Joe Burrow.

Higgins was limited to 12 games last season and ended the year second on the Bengals in touchdown catches (five), third in targets (76) and receiving yards (656) and fourth in receptions (42).

Higgins posted over 1,000 receiving yards in both 2021 and 2022, becoming one of only five players in franchise history to accomplish that feat multiple times in his first three seasons, according to the team website.

The Clemson product also ranks second in Cincinnati history in playoff receptions (31) and receiving yards (457) over his seven contests.

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