Finally! Finally the Bengals delivered what the fans wanted. While just on a temporary basis, they have signed Tee Higgins for their 2025 season. Everyone knows that the team and Higgins have been negotiating a long-term contract. But, they were unable to do so again. Yup, that’s right, they still can’t find a common ground. So, the Bengals resorted to using their franchise tag on the WR. And this announcement made waves in the headlines. This was a major change indeed and it was also a solid response to the rest of the NFL teams. 

Everyone understands that Tee Higgins has significant potential in the NFL. After all, he was going to be the hottest free agent, right? It is clear that every NFL team would prefer having Higgins on board. But you know what? These teams couldn’t wait for free agency. Yes, many teams began to contact Cincinnati directly regarding the WR. But the Bengals, using their franchise tag, shut all of these calls down.

ESPN reporter Dianna Russini highlighted this in her latest reports. She claimed that the teams were indeed a bit too forward for this deal: “Multiple teams have contacted the Bengals about the availability of Tee Higgins after Cincinnati placed the franchise tag on him Monday, per sources. They’ve been told the receiver remains unavailable as the Bengals continue to pursue a long-term deal.”

While we can see that the Bengals and their fans are happy with this decision, it appears that the legends are not. The icon in question here is former Bengals WR Chad Johnson, who believes Tee Higgins does not deserve such treatment. Johnson was in an interview when he explained how this franchise tag thingy is “disrespectful.” The former WR hilariously compared Higgins’ condition to someone who is currently in a “friend zone.”As in, you want to stay with each other but are unable to commit for the long run, similar to Tee and Cincinnati.

While the team’s 2025 season is fixed for now, where are the WRs looking for a long-term contract?

The Bengals have an extremely disappointing report for Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson

It’s been months, and Cincinnati still has these three players dangling in the middle. Rumors have circulated through the past few days that the team will make their ultimate decision soon. But these are merely rumors, and reports have come in with something else. Actually, reporter Ari Meirov has come out and revealed that the club currently has no idea what they are doing. These three players are big, and it’s clear they’d need a lot of money. And obviously, the Bengals do not want to spend that much.

According to the sources, the team is still far from making a final decision. Uhhh these negotiations are truly frustrating. This is actually another reason why the Bengals have chosen to put the franchise tag on Higgins for now: “If they want to keep all three players, they gotta get to $40 million per year for Ja’Marr, $30 million per year for Tee and about $32-33 million for Trey. They’re nowhere close on all three right now.”

If you ask me, maybe Chad Johnson is right. Not committing to these three very powerful key players is truly disrespectful to them. And their demand across the league, combined with their performance, proves that they deserve this kind of money. So the Bengals should consider taking the risk and paying them what they’re worth. Do you agree, or are you thinking about something else? Tell us if you believe Tee Higgins’ franchise tag was a wise idea.