FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports that the first two years of Higgins’ new contract are fully guaranteed. The deal keeps the 26-year-old Higgins in a Bengals uniform through the 2028 season. He caught 73-of-104 targets for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to the WR17 finish in PPR scoring formats last year. Higgins occasionally misses time due to nagging soft tissue injuries but regularly performs at an elite level when healthy. Appearing in 12 games last season, Higgins finished as the WR15 or better six times, including three top-four showings. He currently projects as a rock solid WR2, with easy WR1 upside. The Bengals simultaneously signed Ja’Marr Chase to a record-breaking four-year deal of his own, keeping the team’s elite wide receiver duo intact.

According to Russini, the Bengals continue to tell teams that Higgins is unavailable, as they continue to seek a long-term deal with the sixth-year receiver. Higgins’ is unlikely to get his new deal until Ja’Marr Chase signs his extension, as Chase’s extension is expected to reset the market for non-QBs following his 127-1,708-17 season. Higgins would have been the most sought after player on the free agent market had the Bengals not opted to tag him. It’s not too surprising to hear teams are still trying their hand at acquiring him even after the Bengals announced their plans to tag and extend him this offseason.

Higgins took to social media to announce the team’s decision to franchise tag him for a second-straight offseason. If he plays out the year on the tag, Higgins would earn $26.2 million, but the hope is the two sides can work out a long-term deal before then. Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 12 games last season, and would have been one of the top free agents on the market had he come available. He’ll likely have to wait until Ja’Marr Chase secures a long-term deal before securing one of his own, but Higgins won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

The latest rumors on Higgins are that the Bengals will franchise tag him if they cannot reach a deal before free agency kicks off. Even if that doesn’t come to fruition, Graff believes the Patriots will prioritize the offensive and defensive lines. Patriots executive VP of player personnel reinforced those sentiments at the combine when he said “The game is always won on the lines — offensive line, defensive line.” Graff adds that the Patriots are “going to feel out the trade market for a receiver,” but any move for Higgins appears unlikely at this point.