The Bengals decision on Tee Higgins is much deeper than the simple franchise tag
NASHVILLE — If you ask Tennessee Titans fans what their dream scenario for the 2024 off-season would be, most of them would probably mention wide receiver Tee Higgins as part of their plans. The 25-year-old Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver has ties to new Titans head coach Brian Callahan and is an unrestricted free agent this […]
NASHVILLE — If you ask Tennessee Titans fans what their dream scenario for the 2024 off-season would be, most of them would probably mention wide receiver Tee Higgins as part of their plans.
The 25-year-old Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver has ties to new Titans head coach Brian Callahan and is an unrestricted free agent this March. He has also recorded two 1,000 yard seasons in his young career and would be a valuable weapon for Will Levis as we dawn upon a new era of Titans football.
But getting Higgins in two-tone blue is a lot easier said than done. Between a potential franchise tag, signing a long-term extension, or agreeing to a trade, the Bengals have options when it comes to Higgins. And it's a lot more complicated than initially meets the eye.
Bengals expected to use franchise tag
According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, "the writing is on the wall and all expectations are the Bengals will use a franchise tag on Higgins" this offseason. Joe Burrow has said publicly that he expects Higgins to be back with the team, and it's no surprise to hear that Cincinnati would like to keep the receiving duo of Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase together.
Placing the franchise tag on a player doesn't technically prohibit a player from negotiating with other teams as a free agent, but it does give the player's original team the right to match any contract signed. The Bengals would also receive two first-round picks as compensation if they didn’t match the contract, which in this case, would completely turn off any team from signing Higgins while he's on the tag.
So, what other options do the Bengals have? They could sign Higgins to a long-term extension, but that seems unlikely at this point. The two sides were nowhere close to an agreement prior to the 2023 season. That's usually a sign that a deal won't get done in the ensuing offseason. Wide receivers getting a lot of guaranteed money in their second contract is becoming the new league standard, but as Dehner points out in his column for The Athletic, the Bengals have been historically hesitant to structure deals in such a way.
Joe Burrow's cap hit will go from just under $30 million in 2024 to $46.3 million in 2025. There's also the possibility that Ja'Marr Chase, who will be entering his 4th NFL season in 2024, could be looking for a contract extension by then. At the very least, the Bengals will have to pay chase on his fifth-year option that is expected to sit at $22 million.
With Burrow and Chase combining for almost $70 million in cap space in 2025, you have to think a big contract extension with guarantees just isn't in the cards for Higgins in Cincinnati. Everything seems to be pointing to the Bengals using the franchise tag in 2024 and letting Higgins play on the tag…That is, unless they find a trade partner.
How the franchise tag impacts the Titans
There's certainly a possibility that Cincinnati could use the franchise tag on Higgins and then look to trade him to a team with the cap space to sign him long-term. If the Bengals recognize that they won't ever be agreeing to a long-term extension with Higgins, they could look to get a haul of draft picks for him now and clear the money.
How does that impact a potential Titans pursuit of Higgins? Quite simply, it significantly increases both the risk and the price.
Things would no longer be as simple as using the relationship between Higgins and Brian Callahan to get his interest and then using $61 million of effective cap space to pay over market value for Higgins in free agency. If the franchise tag is used, the Titans would need to trade some valuable draft picks to Cincinnati in addition to handing out a big contract with a lot of guaranteed money.
Spotrac currently has the market value for Higgins somewhere in the range of $74 million over four years. Something similar to what Christian Kirk or Mike Williams got is likely. That adds a major wrinkle to the dream of most Titans fans.
To my understanding, the new Titans regime of Ran Carthon, Chad Brinker, and Brian Callahan are putting an emphasis on sustainability. While winning is always the objective, I don't believe the Titans are going to jeopardize their future to make this roster instantly competitive.
That's not to say the Titans won't be competitive in 2024. It would just surprise me to see this regime trading highly-valued draft picks for a player they'll immediately need to pay in their first offseason together.
Sorry to burst everyone's bubble. But if the Bengals use the franchise tag on Higgins like they are expected to, him playing for the Titans in 2024 is, in my opinion, unrealistic.
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