Bengals WR Tee Higgins on signing, playing on franchise tag: 'This could be the last ride'

One by one, eight of the nine players franchise tagged in March either signed lucrative deals or saw themselves traded to new squads during the offseason.

Only Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was unable to come to some sort of alternate agreement, but ultimately he ended up signing his one-year, $21.8 million tag despite desiring more security and, at one point, requesting a trade.

He did so to return to the only NFL team he’s ever known, be with his teammates from the start of this season’s journey and accomplish what Cincinnati has fallen just short of in recent seasons past.

“I had time to reflect and think,” Higgins said Tuesday, via the team website. “I had long talks with my agent. A lot of back and forth about what I wanted to do. I just made the decision to sign the tag. At the end of the day, I just wanted to come out here and try to win a Super Bowl. I’m happy with the decision I made. I’m here for the Bengals for the 2024 season. I’m ready to get it done and get with my guys.”

Higgins figures to again play a pivotal role for Cincy as the team’s undisputed WR2 alongside Ja'Marr Chase, forming one of the league’s foremost pass-catching duos for quarterback Joe Burrow.

Since joining the Bengals in the second round of the 2020 draft, Higgins has collected 257 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s twice accomplished 1,000-yard receiving seasons, but he’s never made a Pro Bowl and yet to log a full slate of games in any campaign.

Last season marked Higgins’ lowest availability yet, as he played in 12 games (11 starts) thanks to a rib injury and a nagging hamstring issue. The wideout produced career lows of 42 catches, 656 yards and five scores, which perhaps explains the Bengals’ hesitance to lock him in for long term.

Higgins recognizes the importance of finally staying healthy, both for himself in a contract year and for the Bengals if they’re to return to form after missing out on the playoffs during the 2023 season.

“I really focused on my body,” he said of the offseason. “I haven’t been through a season injury-free. I’m looking forward to that this year. I changed a lot of things about how I prepare my body, what I put inside my body, my recovery work. I’m actually treating my body like a pro. That’s what it takes … Cleaning up my diet … You have to keep fueling your body the right way to perform at your best.”

If the changes Higgins made in gearing up for the year ahead prove the difference, he could eventually be in line for the type of deal that eluded him these past months — either from the Bengals or someone else.

For now, he begins plugging away with his teammates at the Super Bowl mission.

“This could be the last ride for me and the guys,” Higgins said. “You never know. Instead of holding out and waiting and just watching from afar, I’d rather be in the mix with the guys and grind it out with them. That’s how I’ve always been.”

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