It doesn’t look like Tee Higgins will be joining the Cincinnati Bengals anytime soon.
The former Clemson star receiver can’t join the Bengals until he signs his franchise tender. He has yet to do so and is not expected to sign the tender before the Bengals’ OTAs next week, according to multiple reports.
Higgins requested a trade after receiving the franchise tag in late February, with he and the Bengals having failed to reach a long-term deal. He is due to make $21.8 million on the one-year franchise tag, if he ends up signing the tender.
Higgins dealt with injuries last season, contributing to a dropoff in production, as he played in a career-low 12 games while posting career-lows with 42 receptions, 656 yards and five touchdowns.
However, the 6-foot-4, 219-pounder had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons the previous two years, tallying 13 total touchdowns in that span.
Higgins, 25, has been highly productive overall in his NFL career, during which he has hauled in 257 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns since being drafted by the Bengals in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2020 draft.
