The Cincinnati Bengals plan to use the franchise tag on star wide receiver Tee Higgins for the second straight season, according to James Rapien of Sports Illustrated .
On the franchise tag, Higgins is guaranteed a one-year contract worth north of $26 million. With Higgins expected to demand more than that on the open market, the Bengals could then trade Higgins elsewhere to keep him from landing with an AFC North rival like the Steelers who are in desperate need of a standout WR.
The Bengals want to keep their core group together, however. It will be a difficult task to pay Higgins, Joe Burrow , Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson , though.
Sources tell Rapien that the Bengals plan on signing Higgins to a long-term deal.
In an interview with Joe Danneman of FOX19 in Cincinnati on Feb. 9, Higgins said that he wants to stay in Cincinnati and keep the Bengals core together, instead of hitting free agency — and has talked to Joe Burrow about making that happen.
"Yeah, of course, we all want to keep the core pieces what it is," Higgins said. "We want to build something here in Cincy. But you know, it's not in my hands right now. So, I gotta do what I need to do, and if that's go to another team, that's what happens."
The Bengals have targeted Higgins at least 100 times in four of his five seasons with the team. He played for Cincy under the franchise tag last year and put up 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 73 receptions.
The Steelers would obviously be interested in Higgins, but that possibility seems to be shut now. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound wide out plays the way the Steelers want to play, with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin comparing him to basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal this season in terms of how Higgins must be defended.
"He's a big guy as you saw that touchdown late in the game against Cam Sutton," Tomlin said after the first matchup with the Bengals. "He is a challenge, and so, when we play Shaq, we're gonna use our fouls. We're not gonna allow him to get us off the block, if you need a basketball analogy."
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