Tee Higgins won’t be seen in a Bengals uniform anytime soon.
The wide receiver has not signed his franchise tag tender offer and isn’t expected to do so by next week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
If Higgins doesn’t sign the tender offer by next week he will be ineligible to participate in any team-organized activities and wouldn’t be able to do so until he signed.
It’s the latest twist in the saga between the two sides after Higgins was reportedly frustrated over the team using the franchise tag on him at the start of the offseason, which led the receiver to request a trade.
At the time, Schefter had reported that Higgins was “disappointed that the team has not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since March 2023.
“He’s ready to move on to a new home.”
While it’s clear that Higgins wasn’t happy with the way the situation has unfolded, he did tell reporters in April that he anticipated playing for the Bengals in 2024.
“I do anticipate it. I’ve grown a love for Cincy I didn’t think I would,” he told FOX19 at the time.
Higgins will make $21.816 million this season under the franchise tag this season in Cincinnati.
The wide receiver has 403 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons with the Bengals.
Last year he was plagued by injuries that limited him to 12 games in which he made 42 catches for 656 yards and five TDs.
The Bengals and Higgins have until July 15 to work out a long-term extension and he is the only player this offseason who had been franchise or transition tagged and hasn’t been able to work out an extension with their team.
Higgins had been selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.