Tee Higgins is not believed to be in the Bengals’ future plans

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The Cincinnati Bengals and wide receiver Tee Higgins are not close and never got close on a contract extension, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Enquirer.

Higgins, 24, is entering the final year of his contract with the Bengals. Unless something “shocking” happens in the next 24 hours, the two sides are not expected to reach a long-term deal before the Week 1 contest against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

The former second-round pick out of Clemson is not believed to be in the Bengals’ future plans. Higgins was offered a contract extension this offseason but it didn’t meet what Higgins is expecting to get on the open market. Cincinnati’s front office will have the option to apply the franchise tag next offseason on Higgins to keep him around for one more season but that doesn’t seem likely.

And here’s why.

The franchise tag amount for a wide receiver will be more than $19.74 million next year. For one season, that would be a lot of money to pay a player. After making quarterback Joe Burrow the highest paid player in NFL history and planning to pay wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase top of the market money next offseason, the Bengals don’t have the luxury they did from a salary cap standpoint when Burrow was on his rookie contract.

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