Tee Higgins and the Bengals don’t seem close to reaching a long-term deal.
Higgins, who requested a trade in March after being franchise-tagged, shared an interesting message Thursday on Instagram amid the standoff, writing, “I tell em no, they can’t wait to call me selfish…”
The post featured an array of photos, including snaps of the wide receiver working out.
Higgins’ message comes days after it was reported that he and fellow wideout Ja’Marr Chase were not present for the team’s OTAs.
Head coach Zac Taylor, who is entering his sixth season at the helm, was asked about their absences Tuesday.
“[They] are still working hard elsewhere, and they’ll be back at the right times,” Taylor said, according to ESPN. “And the beauty is we know those guys, we know what they’re about and that they’ll be ready and focused when it’s time to come back.”
Cincinnati designated Higgins as a franchise player just before the NFL Combine in late February — when the Bengals’ top football operations executive, Duke Tobin, explained why the team didn’t wait to get the tag him.
“It’s really simple: He’s a good player, we want to keep him, and we have resources to do that, so we decided early to do it,” Tobin, the team’s director of player personnel, said at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “And that’s where we are. We like Tee. We’re a better team with Tee. With the way we managed our cap, we had the ability to put the franchise tag on him, and we did.”
Higgins, a second-round pick by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft, requested a trade in March after negotiations for a long-term deal stalled, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
If Higgins plays on the tag, it’ll be a one-year contract worth an estimated $21.8 million for 2024.
The two sides have until July 15 to negotiate a new contract extension, pending a possible trade before that date.
In April, the 25-year-old Higgins said he anticipated playing for the Bengals in the 2024 season.
“I’ve grown a love for Cincy that I didn’t think I would, but, you know, man, looking forward to it,” he told WLWT at a youth football camp.
Higgins, who missed five games due to injury last season, finished with 42 catches for 656 yards and five scores.
Across four seasons with Cincinnati, Higgins has tallied 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns — including two 1,000-yard campaigns.
Trading Higgins would leave a major hole in Cincinnati’s offense, splitting up the big three also featuring quarterback Joe Burrow and Chase, who is also seeking a deal.
Higgins, who is one of Burrow’s favorite targets, developed a strong connection with the quarterback and played a pivotal role in the Bengals’ Super Bowl run in the 2021 season.
Cincinnati came up short in a 23-20 loss to the Rams in the big game in February 2022.
The Bengals open the 2024-25 season at home against the Patriots on Sept. 8.