After missing the playoffs again last season, the Cincinnati Bengals already have enough pressure on them heading into this offseason, but after just a few short days the team has come under fire once again for the handling of some of its biggest superstars.
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The Bengals unsurprisingly opted to place the franchise tag on wideout Tee Higgins for a second consecutive season, however, that decision was met with great displeasure by not only the player but also his teammates and players on other teams.
One of the league's biggest stars at Higgins' position even came out on his podcast and stated that he isn't a fan of what Cincinnati has done, even calling for the franchise tag to be "illegal."
"That should be illegal. I don't give a f*** what nobody says. That's so f***ed."
Amon-Ra St. Brown isn't a fan of the Bengals franchise tagging Tee Higgins for the 2nd straight season. pic.twitter.com/qA49ZPcSia
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) March 5, 2025
Amon-Ra St. Brown isn't afraid to voice his opinion, and in this case he's certainly looking out for other players that may find themselves in similar positions to Higgins. At this point, the wideout is stuck with the Bengals because they have his rights for at least another season.
Higgins' situation is even more difficult because the Bengals still have to find a new contract for their other star wide receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, who will command an even larger deal whenever that gets settled.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and wide receiver Tee Higgins
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1), quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) take the field as captains for the coin toss before the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
While teams like the Philadelphia Eagles continue to reward their players for performing at high levels, most notably Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith and more recently Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun, Cincinnati has taken a drastically different approach.
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