Ben Baby, ESPN Staff Writer February 27, 2024, 6:06 p.m. ET
Close
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Before ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News, where he covered college sports. He covers the Bengals daily for ESPN.com while also appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. He is a native of Grapevine, Texas and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. He is an adjunct professor of journalism at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
INDIANAPOLIS – Cincinnati Bengals general manager Duke Tobin emphasized how much better the roster is with wide receiver Tee Higgins on it.
But unlike last year's NFL scouting combine, when Tobin firmly rejected the notion that Higgins could transfer, Cincinnati's director of player personnel left the door somewhat open when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday.
“As far as our intentions going forward and answering hypotheses about what might and might not happen, I won't go into that, but we feel like we're a better team with him,” Tobin said during his session at the Indianapolis Convention Center. “The reason we franchised him is because we would like to have him. He is not under contract and it is difficult for me to predict all possible scenarios.”
Editor favorites
2 relatives
The Bengals officially gave Higgins the franchise tag on Monday. That guarantees Cincinnati the right to sign Higgins to a one-year deal worth $21.8 million next season. Higgins, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, is at the end of his rookie contract.
Tobin said that as soon as the NFL announced the salary cap for each team in 2024, the Bengals did not delay their decision to award Higgins the franchise title. In a sideline session with local reporters, Tobin also said it was hard to say how difficult it would be to trade a player who is on a one-year contract and reiterated the team's desire to have Higgins on the roster for 2024.
“He’s a perfect fit for us, so we tagged him for that reason,” Tobin said. “The hypotheses about what might happen are difficult for me to comment on.”
It was very different than what Tobin said in 2023 when asked about possible trade speculation involving Higgins after his rookie deal ended.
“I'm committed to making the Cincinnati Bengals better, so trading Tee Higgins doesn't cross my mind,” Tobin said in February 2023. “That's their problem.” [If] You want a receiver, find your own.”
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said the call informing Higgins that he had received the franchise tag was brief and that he told the receiver how much he valued the relationship with the young playmaker.
“It’s the business side,” Taylor said. “I understand it can be frustrating. Tea didn't give me any of it. We’re just looking forward to attacking this offseason and seeing where it goes.”
In four seasons, Higgins was one of the team's standout playmakers. During his time with the Bengals, he recorded 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. He had more than 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022, the years the Bengals won the AFC North, and made good playoff runs, including a Super Bowl LVI appearance.
Higgins was hampered by injuries last season. In 12 games, he collected 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns.