In a slight blow to their free agency hopes for this offseason, the Cleveland Browns and the NFL at large got some unfortunate news.
One of the top wide receivers heading into the offseason is no longer available, as his team has decided to place a franchise tag on him (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter.)
Source: The #Bengals informed star WR Tee Higgins that they are franchising him.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 24, 2024
Tee Higgins of the Bengals would fetch a pretty price via free agency.
However, since the Bengals have decided to place a franchise tag on him, he’s no longer available to sign.
Instead, he will play with the Bengals again next year on a fixed contract to be determined.
Every NFL team gets one franchise tag per year, and the Bengals have decided to use theirs on Higgins.
While that’s bad news for other NFL teams, it means that other Bengals players cannot be franchised.
That includes several top players such as DJ Reader, Irv Smith, and Tyler Boyd, the Bengal’s number three wideout.
However, Boyd doesn’t have the youth or same potential as Higgins, and the Browns haven’t announced if they’re going to pursue him or not.
With Higgins out of the picture, that narrows down the number of high-profile wide receivers who will be free agents when the 2024 offseason starts in March.
Currently, Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Gabe Davis of the Buffalo Bills are the top prospects.
However, aside from Higgins, there haven’t been any attempts to recruit or pursue any of the aforementioned players.
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