REPORT: After applying Tee Higgins’ franchise tag, the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to place their star wide receiver on the trade market.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ decision to franchise tag Tee Higgins may have been motivated by more than just wanting to retain their all-star group of wide receivers for the 2024 campaign. With Higgns and Ja’Marr Chase, quarterback Joe Burrow will have an easier time playing quarterback in 2024.

Higgins was tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

Many fans and pundits believed the Bengals intended to keep Higgins for the 2024 season rather than letting him go free agent when they placed the franchise tag on him last week. Higgins may not have reached free agency, but it is still unclear if he will play out the entire 2024 season in Cincinnati.

The talk at the NFL Combine, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, was that the Bengals tagged Higgins early, giving them time to peddle him around before free agency:

Many Indianapolis residents appeared to believe that Tee Higgins’ early franchise status was solely for trading purposes. Cincinnati may not be able to keep the group together around Joe Burrow for very long because a Ja’Marr Chase extension is probably forthcoming this offseason or next.

The Bengals have no justification for allowing Higgins to sign a free agent contract. They ought to try to get back the money they will forfeit for their previous second-round selection. Given their cap forecast and Chase’s desire to reset the market, it seems unlikely to keep Higgins in the long run by extending him this year.

The Bengals can trade Higgins for a high-round pick in the April draft by shopping him early. Higgins’ season-long hold could make the team more competitive in 2024, but the Bengals will get the best return on investment for a guy who won’t be in Cincinnati in 2025 if they trade him this spring.

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