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          Bengals WR Tee Higgins signs franchise tender

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          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterJun 15, 2024, 03:52 PM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is officially in the fold for the upcoming season.

          Higgins signed his franchise tag, the team announced Monday. By signing the tag, the fifth-year wide receiver is now expected to be at training camp.

          The latest development comes two days after the Bengals concluded their three-day mandatory minicamp. Higgins has missed the entire offseason program while the tag remained unsigned.

          "I'm excited to move forward with Tee," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. "He's done a great job handling his situation, and we are happy to get him back in the fold so we can start working toward a great 2024 season. The locker room will be excited to have him back around."

          Earlier in the week, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said he remained in contact with Higgins since the end of last season and welcomed the idea of throwing with him before training camp begins in late July.

          "Tee and I are always talking," Burrow said. "I've seen Tee several times this offseason. He looks great. Whenever he's ready to come back, I'll be excited to see him."

          Higgins is set to earn $21.8 million this season under the tag. He and the Bengals can still negotiate a long-term deal until July 15, though the likelihood of that seems unlikely.

          A 2020 second-round pick out of Clemson, Higgins has been an instrumental part of Cincinnati's offense. In his first four seasons, Higgins has totaled 3,684 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.

          Last year, Higgins was hampered by rib and hamstring injuries. He played in 12 games and had 42 receptions, 656 yards and five touchdowns.

          Higgins isn't the only Bengals wide receiver looking for a massive extension. Ja'Marr Chase, a three-time Pro Bowler, is also angling for a new deal. Chase also missed nearly the entire offseason program. While he did report for the mandatory minicamp, he was a limited participant in all three days.

          The Bengals are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2023 season. Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11, and Cincinnati, the back-to-back AFC North champions, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.