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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has reportedly requested a trade after recently being franchise tagged by the team, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter Monday (March 11) morning.
"Bengals franchise WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, per sources. Higgins loves Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long term, but is disappointed that the team has not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since March 2023. He’s ready to move on to a new home," Schefter wrote on his X account.
The Bengals notified Higgins, 25, of their intention to apply the franchise tag on February 26.
Higgins, a former second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was reportedly expected to be paid around $21.8 million for the 2024 season as part of the franchise tag, though many suspected it could've instead been used a placeholder for the Bengals to negotiate a long-term extension before the mid-July deadline. The Tennessee native was expected to be the prized wide receiver free agent this offseason prior to being tagged and several teams could be interested in a trade.
Higgins was expected to be a target for several teams needing a No. 1 option at wide receiver -- having started opposite primary wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase during the past three seasons -- including the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, which would've reunited him quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne Jr., his former college teammates at Clemson. Higgins appeared in just 11 games in 2023 due to rib and hamstring injuries, but was once again productive, recording 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns during his fourth NFL season.