NFL free agency begins when the new league year starts in mid-March; however, plenty of players have been pitching their teams to receiver Tee Higgins. He was supposed to be the biggest name on the market this year, but recent reports indicate that the Bengals plan to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Higgins for the second straight season.
If it works out, this move would keep Cincinnati’s potent offense together while taking the big fish out of the free agency pond.
Is Tee Higgins’ Mom a Fan of the Recent Contract News?
Higgins played in 2024 with a fully guaranteed one-year, $21.8 million deal under the franchise tag. Getting tagged in back-to-back years would entitle him to a 20% raise, bringing the new deal to $26.18 million, fully guaranteed. That deal would make Higgins the 11th-highest-paid receiver in the league, but a long-term contract could go even higher.
Higgins is one of the NFL’s more dangerous receivers despite playing second-fiddle to Ja’Marr Chase for the last four seasons. Throughout his time in the league, Higgins ranks 10th in success rate for the position (59.8%) and 13th in touchdowns.
The 2024 season was Higgins’ best in touchdowns (10) despite only playing in 12 games. His drop rate this season was also a career-low at 2.8%, while quarterback Joe Burrow had a 119.5 passer rating when targeting him.
Higgins has been a major talking point for current players as many recruited him during Super Bowl week, and Trevor Lawrence recently pitched a reunion to his former Clemson teammate. However, Higgins’ mother, Lady Stewart, tweeted a blunt message responding to the franchise tag news.
Selfish bastards
— TEEHIGGINSMOM #5 ✋🏽💫 (@adizlady) February 18, 2025
“Selfish bastards” is about as straightforward as you can get, but it’s a fair response if she feels her son isn’t being properly compensated. PFSN has Higgins listed as the top free agent available, and missing out on that opportunity could keep the receiver from a $30 million-a-year contract.
A concerned fan asked Stewart if her tweet was about the Bengals to which she replied, “It’s not.”
It’s not
— TEEHIGGINSMOM #5 ✋🏽💫 (@adizlady) February 18, 2025
Whether this is true or not, Higgins’ mom is justified in wanting what’s best for her son.
The two sides can still work on a long-term contract without the tag, but that may not happen before the March 4 deadline. If they use the tag, the Bengals would have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal, which could be a valuable time for them to work on the next moves for Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Cincinnati has stars on both sides of the ball who deserve to be paid and deserve to continue playing together. The defensive coaching staff was overhauled after a disastrous 2024, and getting Higgins back would put the Bengals right back in the AFC playoff picture.