Exclusive: New details emerge about Tee Higgins, Bengals contract negotiations

The Cincinnati Bengals placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins for the upcoming season after not being able to agree on a long-term contract extension over the last two years. New details about the Bengals and Higgins’ negotiation process have emerged.

Higgins never requested to become the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, sources tell The Enquirer. In fact, the range Higgins was initially looking for is similar to what the Indianapolis Colts just gave wide receiver Michael Pittman this year after placing the franchise tag on him. The Colts and Pittman agreed to a three-year deal worth $70 million with an annual average salary of $23 million.

Pittman’s contract falls in line with the deals the Washington Commanders gave wide receiver Terry McClaurin and what the San Francisco 49ers gave wide receiver Deebo Samuel, two other examples of the type of contract Higgins was originally seeking from the Bengals.

McClaurin signed a three-year contract extension with the Commanders worth $68.2 million with an average annual salary of $22 million. Samuel signed a three-year deal worth $71 million with an average annual salary of $23 million.

The Bengals never approached the $20 million range for Higgins, sources told The Enquirer. Due to the original offer Cincinnati’s front office gave Higgins for his annual salary, the two sides never advanced to the next round of conversations which would have been about guaranteed money, sources also confirmed to The Enquirer. Any speculation that Higgins and his representation are asking for a specific amount of guaranteed money from the Bengals is not accurate.

When The Enquirer reached out to the Bengals for a comment on the subject, they reiterated the following quote from head coach Zac Taylor.

“We’re excited for Tee to have a great year for us,” Taylor said. “We think he’s our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I’ve enjoyed working with Tee the last four years, I expect this year to be no different.”

Higgins’ request for a trade this offseason came after the two sides never re-engaged in negotiations. Typically, when an NFL team uses the franchise tag on a player it’s used to give both sides more time to reach a long-term deal. Cincinnati’s front office has made it clear they don’t plan to trade Higgins.

In four seasons with the Bengals, Higgins has caught 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. He is coming off an injury-riddled season that led to him missing five games last year. Higgins amassed 1,000 receiving yards twice so far in his professional campaign.

Higgins and the Bengals have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal and if not, Higgins will play this season and make $21.8 million. When a team applies the franchise tag on a player, the number is set based on the average of the top five salaries at the position over the past five years.

The highest paid wide receiver in the NFL right now is AJ Brown who just agreed to a three-year extension with the Eagles worth $96 million. Brown’s annual salary is now $32 million. Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins is the second-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL making $30 million a year.

Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase are next in line for extensions at the receiver position. Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings have yet to come to an agreement on a new deal and it’s one Cincinnati’s front office will closely monitor.

The Bengals picked up Chase’s fifth-year option last week giving the team more time to work on a long-term deal with their Pro Bowl wideout. Chase said he wants to see what Jefferson is offered before engaging in contract discussions.