Bengals, Tee Higgins contract standoff gets predictable update

As has long been the obvious case, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will play the 2024 season on his franchise tag.

This is in the news again because July 15 is the deadline for tagged players and teams to reach deals on long-term extensions.

Higgins, the only franchise-tagged player without a new deal, has long projected to play the season on the $21.8 million tag.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed on Sunday that the two sides won’t do a deal by Monday’s deadline.

Admittedly, there was a small, slim bit of hope after mandatory camp this summer when Higgins signed the franchise tag, signaling he would be at training camp. That left some wiggle room before training camp for a deal, yet nothing has or will happen.

Higgins remains on the Jessie Bates track (and even shares the same agent), meaning he’ll play next year on the tag before likely hitting free agency.