Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins will not agree to a contract extension by Monday's deadline, meaning he will be a highly coveted free agent next offseason, NFL Network reported Sunday. Higgins, 25, signed a $21.8 million franchise tag on June 17 and will play the 2024 season on that deal. Of the eight NFL players hit with the franchise tag this offseason, Higgins is the only one not to sign an extension. Higgins hasn't taken part in any offseason activities with the Bengals, including a three-day mandatory minicamp in June. He reportedly requested a trade in March. Higgins was limited by hamstring and rib injuries in 2023, forcing him to miss five games. Still, he caught 42 passes for 656 yards and scored five touchdowns. A second-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Clemson, Higgins has appeared in 58 regular-season games (53 starts) and caught 257 passes for 3,684 and 24 touchdowns. He has added 31 receptions for 457 yards and three scores in seven playoff games. --Field Level Media
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) gets his hand on a deep pass in the third quarter during a Week 17 NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The Kansas City Chiefs won, 25-17.