Tee Higgins Rumors: Bengals Reject Teams Calling About Trade amid Contract Talks

The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly are not loosening their grip on star receiver Tee Higgins anytime soon.

Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, "multiple teams" contacted the Bengals after they placed the franchise tag on Higgins to gauge his availability for a trade, but those teams have been "told the receiver remains unavailable as the Bengals continue to pursue a long-term deal."

This marks the second straight year that the Bengals placed their franchise tag on Higgins, but they announced that they did so "with the intent of continuing to work toward a long-term deal in Cincinnati" for the 26-year-old. If the two sides are unable to reach an agreement by the July 15 deadline, the franchise tender would pay Higgins $26.2 million for the 2025 season.

Despite being limited to 12 games in 2024, Higgins still had a strong year with 73 catches for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. While he's been an integral part of the passing attack led by star quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals have a lot to address this offseason.

In addition to negotiating a long-term deal for Higgins, Cincinnati is hoping to secure contract extensions for wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson, both of whom are entering the final year of their respective deals. Bengals general manager Duke Tobin said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that Chase is "always going to be our priority," and there's an expectation that he's "going to end up being the No. 1 paid non-quarterback in the league."

It's unclear where that would leave Higgins, who has proved that he's worthy if a big payday as well. It won't be easy, but it sounds like Cincinnati is motivated to keep its core intact, so teams looking to trade for Higgins will need to pivot to other options.