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NFL Free Agency: Bengals expected to tag Tee Higgins again

The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to hit Tee Higgins with the franchise tag for the second consecutive season, according to SI.com.

However, it isn’t because the Bengals don’t want to extend him.

SI adds that the Bengals intend on signing Higgins long-term after tagging him.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. (Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)

It’s also worth noting Cincinnati intends on hitting Higgins with the non-exclusive tag, which means they would be compensated with two first-round draft picks if he were to sign elsewhere.

Higgins was expected to be among the top free agents available this offseason, but the Bengals are clearly showing they still want him to be a part of their offensive efforts.

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Last offseason was contentious, though, when Higgins was hit with the franchise tag. They had a bit of drama, as Higgins wanted his long-term deal to remain with the team, but he ultimately played on his franchise tag.

The Bengals and Higgins will now have until Feb. 18 to March 4 to negotiate a contract before they decide to officially tag him.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) walks off the field after the victory over the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium. (Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)

Higgins’ teammates have been vocal with their support of him, hoping the front office and the veteran receiver can find common ground.

“You don’t want to make a habit of letting great players get out of the building,” quarterback Joe Burrow said of Higgins following the Bengals’ rollercoaster 2024 campaign. “Tee is a great player and a guy that does everything the right way. He works really hard for it.”

Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins’ receiving counterpart, also said something to the same effect.

The 26-year-old Higgins is coming off a season where he caught 73 passes from Burrow, the NFL’s leading passer in 2024, for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Over five seasons with Cincinnati, Higgins has 4,595 yards with 34 touchdowns on 330 catches.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) in the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)

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If Higgins were to play on the franchise tag in 2025, he would be guaranteed $26.18 million for the year, as the league combines the average of the top five receiver salaries from last season.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 18, 2025
Bengals’ Tee Higgins says he’d ‘love’ to return to Cincinnati ahead of free agency

Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins would love to return in free agency, but knows it’s not in his control.

Higgins, 26, and fellow star Ja’Marr Chase have been one of the league’s best wide receiver duos since Chase entered the NFL in 2021.

“I mean, obviously I would love to be there in Cincinnati. I love it here. I love the city. I love the fans. I love the coaching staff, everything in the building. But, hey, it’s not in my control.” Higgins said via FOX19 Cincinncati.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins walks off the field after the victory over the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium. (Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)

Higgins is one of many key players the Bengals have hitting free agency, and it’s not guaranteed they will make a strong offer to retain their 2020 second-round pick.

Defensive tackle B.J. Hill, cornerback Mike Hilton and tight end Mike Gesicki are among the core group of players hitting free agency.

In addition, Chase and star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are seeking large contract extensions.

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Cincinnati Bengals, from left, Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins take the field for the Steelers game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Jan. 4, 2025. (IMAGN)

Higgins said he is going to take some time away before deciding on his future.

“I’m just trying to stay away from it right now and clear my head, get away from the game, especially after this, after (the Super Bowl). Clear my head, get away from the game for a few weeks, and then, obviously, in March, that’s when things will start ramping up for me with the free agency coming up,” Higgins said.

Higgins will be highly sought after in free agency. Despite being second fiddle to Chase in Cincinnati, he has proven his ability to be the No. 1 receiver in any team’s offense.

The 6-foot-4-inch receiver has dealt with injury issues, missing five games in each of the last two seasons, but has been highly productive when on the field.

Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins catches a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. (Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)

Through his five-year career, Higgins has caught 330 passes for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns.

The Bengals finished 9-8 this season, just missing the playoffs after suffering one-too-many heartbreaking losses early in the season.

Retaining Higgins, among other key players, would go a long way to ensuring the Bengals remain in playoff contention for years to come.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
Scottie Scheffler makes miraculous par save on 18th hole at Pebble Beach after errant tee shot

Scottie Scheffler found himself in a precarious position after his opening tee shot on the 18th hole in the second round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Friday. But the star golfer managed an epic par save.

Scheffler pulled his tee shot into the beach but didn’t see it land. He either could have taken a penalty drop 40 yards forward from the end of the tee box, or walk 300 yards or take a chance he could find his ball.

“I just (hit) a low pull, I hadn’t been driving it very well all day and this was a hard tee ball today, being mostly off the left. And I thought the way it looked like from the tee box, I was like, ‘Well I guess we should go up there and look,’ because I didn’t see it splash, I didn’t see any rocks, I knew there was sand there. So, I was like ‘Might as well go look,’” Scheffler said.

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Scottie Scheffler walks on the 18th fairway during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

Scheffler was lucky enough to find his ball, and then came the next task: hit off the beach back onto the course and get it over the cliff.

Scheffler was just hoping to find grass.

“I think the unpredictability was the most difficult part. I was really just trying to get it out over the rocks and anywhere up there on grass I would have been pretty happy about, obviously. Saved me a couple of shots there being able to find my ball in the sand,” Scheffler said.

He was able to find some grass in the fairway that left him about 180 yards out, but even though he was out of the sand, this shot wasn’t any easier.

“I mean, that was a really hard shot. I was in between clubs and I had to chip a 6-iron in there from 180 (yards out), with the wind you can obviously see it blowing off the left there, so it was a pretty tough shot, just glad to get that on the green,” Scheffler said.

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He then two-putted from 40 feet to complete the par save.

“After the tee ball, I definitely would have taken a par, so there’s no complaints from me there.”

The par completed a 2-under 70 round on the day.

After the second round, Scheffler was seven-under par, tied for 20th. Sepp Straka led after two rounds at -14.

This is Scheffler’s first tournament back since suffering a freak hand injury during Christmas dinner.

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Scottie Scheffler putts on the 17th green during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

Scheffler said he isn’t feeling all the way himself yet after his first two rounds.

“(My game) feels good, I’ve limited the mistakes and I feel like I haven’t been swinging it as well as I could be, so I think there maybe just a little bit of rust there, a little bit of timing my swing, but it’s good to be getting back into competitive golf, and nice to be out here at Pebble,” Scheffler said.

Scheffler’s injury required minor surgery, but he is now back in action after one of the most dominant seasons in PGA Tour history.

Scheffler won seven PGA Tour titles, while winning The Masters for a second time in his career. He also represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and won a gold medal after a late surge.

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Scottie Scheffler walks on the ninth hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Links. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

Scheffler also became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to hold the No. 1 ranking for an entire calendar year.

The star golfer is 2-under through four holes to begin this third round, leaving him 9-under par as of the time of writing.

The third round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am continues on Saturday.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

February 1, 2025