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This is perhaps the most impactful offseason of the Joe Burrow era in Cincinnati. The way the front office navigates the signing of Higgins, Chase, and Hendrickson has a chance to define this franchise for years to come. The decisions they make this summer are extremely difficult, no question. But that is why these executives get paid the big bucks. 

According to James Rapien Cincinnati is preparing to use the franchise tag on Tee Higgins for the second straight season. That would put his salary at about $26.18 million. This would be towards the top of the wide receiver contract range. As a comparison, Terry McLaurin’s cap hit is $25.5 million for the Commanders. 

But most Bengals pundits are forecasting that this move isn’t the end for Higgins’ negotiations. This time around, the situation in tagging him is much different. For one, Joe Burrow has been extremely vocal in his desire to keep the core of Higgins, Hendrickson and Chase together. And as a team you ignore the wishes of your franchise quarterback at your own peril. If Burrow wants someone like Tee Higgins on this team, Cincinnati must do all it can (within reason) to do it. 

Potentially applying the franchise tag gives the Bengals something extremely important: time. Time to negotiate with Tee to potentially come to an agreement on a long term deal is extremely important. And having the tag in place, as opposed to letting him walk as a free agent, helps in that respect. Bear in mind, as Rapien points out, that this is a non-exclusive franchise tag. This means that “a team could negotiate a long-term deal with Higgins, but it would cost them two first round picks if the Bengals didn’t match the contract.” 

Once again, this gives Cincinnati an added layer of compensation if they can’t reach a deal or choose not to match a ridiculous offer made by a competitor. Getting those picks (as opposed to nothing if Tee simply walked as a free agent) would be a far better outcome than the alternative. This isn’t the Bengals being lazy or giving up on contract talks. Rather it’s an important and strategic first step in an important process. 

But the most crucial thing to note is that if the tag is applied, it is a signal that the clock is ticking. Cincinnati must act in good faith with Higgins and his agent. They simply cannot afford to lowball him or drag out these talks to gain some sort of phantom advantage. The time for games is over as time is of the essence. Yes, it’s important to make a deal that doesn’t cripple this team moving forward. But it is also far past the time to pinch pennies. It’s time to go all in for Burrow and for the future. 

This team has an unfortunate history of misfiring it comes to contract negotiations. Put simply, now is not the time for such foolishness. Every mistake, every miscalculation, is amplified and we cannot afford it. 

As others have calculated, there is no excuse for this team’s front office to cry poor and claim they “can’t pay everyone.” Whether it’s releasing players or restructuring contracts, there is plenty that can be done to keep the Big Three in Cincinnati. What’s more, the Bengals can do it without hamstringing this team for the future. It remains to be seen, though, if the Bengals have the gumption to pull the trigger and go for broke (no pun intended).

Yes, Higgins has health concerns. He’s missed games, but when he has been on the field his impact cannot be denied. His physicality, ability to catch tough passes, all while still being able to stretch a defense are exactly the qualities that Burrow covets. And they are the same skills that make he and Ja’Marr Chase such a deadly combination. 

It’s time for this deal to be done. It can be the first domino to fall. And after it happens we can clear the way to what we all hope to be other impactful signings that get the Cincinnati Bengals back on track to the playoffs and beyond.