Cincinnati is working on fulfilling one of Joe Burrow's wishes.
The Bengals are focused on getting a long-term deal done with wide receiver Tee Higgins and hope a franchise tag won't be needed, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Monday.
Pelissero added that if the parties can't come to an agreement before the March 4 deadline, the Bengals are considered likely to tag Higgins for a second straight year, which would cost $26.2 million (120% of last season's salary).
Cincinnati's two-week window to place the tag opens on Feb. 18.
Placing the tag on Higgins once again would ensure his services for another season, barring a subsequent trade, but it wouldn't preclude Cincinnati from working out a deal to replace it. Should they end up using the tag, the Bengals would have until July 15 to work out an extension with Higgins before it becomes permanent.
Burrow has been vocal at every opportunity about his desire to keep Higgins in Cincy for the long term. He'll surely be happy about whatever steps the Bengals take to make that a reality.
Higgins, a second-round pick from the same 2020 draft as Burrow, has been explosive for the club from the start. He's compiled two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and eclipsed 900 yards in all but one year.
During the most recent campaign, he posted 73 catches for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns to bring his career TD total to 34.
He's the perfect complement to recent receiving triple crown winner Ja’Marr Chase, who is in need of an extension of his own, as the two form perhaps the best WR duo in the NFL. Cincinnati's offense is routinely more efficient and versatile with Higgins helping draw attention on the field than with him off it.
The only problem is that Higgins hasn't proven he can stay consistently healthy. He's missed five games in each of the past two seasons, both of which saw him deal with extended hamstring issues.
That might have served as an impediment to Cincy committing in the past, but it appears the Bengals are listening to their QB and working to keep together the core of an offense that's ranked top-seven in scoring in three of the past four seasons.
If Higgins comes off the market, either by franchise tag or an extension before or after it, many teams will have to reevaluate their free agency plans; he was likely the top WR option set to be available.
The Bengals, while they have work still to do, would be plenty happy to keep that firepower all for themselves.
