Mar 11, 2024, 10:57 ET
The player was not happy after receiving the franchise tag without entering into negotiations for a multi-year contract in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bengals franchise wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Tee Higgins said he loves Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long-term, but he’s disappointed the team hasn’t had talks about a multi-year contract extension since March 2023, according to sources.
Tee Higgins, a second-round draft pick in 2020 who received the franchise tag, was set to enter free agency after his rookie contract with the Bengals expired.
The Cincinnati Bengals used their franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins. Cooper Neill/Getty Images
In his four seasons with the team, he has caught 257 passes for $3,684 and 24 touchdowns. In seven playoff games, he has 31 receptions for 457 yards and three touchdowns.
This is the second straight offseason in which Tee Higgins’ long-term future with the team has been a topic of conversation. At last year’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Bengals executive Duke Tobin emphatically rejected a potential trade involving Tee Higgins.
However, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on a multi-year contract extension before Tee Higgins entered the final season of his current contract. Tee Higgins had an injury-plagued season in 2023 that limited him to just 12 games. He had 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns. Tee Higgins has publicly and privately expressed his desire to remain in Cincinnati for several years.
In January, quarterback Joe Burrow said he expected Tee Higgins, who like Burrow was drafted in 2020, would return to the Bengals in 2024.
Editorial Selections
“Our relationship is no secret,” Burrow declared. “I hope Tee comes back. I think that’s the feeling in the locker room. We all want Tee to come back.
“We know the kind of player he is. We know the kind of person he is. He’s what a Bengal should be.”
Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase have given Burrow one of the best wide receiver pairings in the NFL. Chase, who was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
2024-03-11 15:57:00
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