LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: Tee Higgins

  • Tee Higgins ends holdout and signs Franchise Tender with Bengals

    Tee Higgins ends holdout and signs Franchise Tender with Bengals

    by Chris Ball

    Queen City Sports from Loveland, Ohio

     

    On Monday, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins officially ended his holdout and signed his franchise tender. He’ll now make $21.816 million fully guaranteed for the 2024 season. Higgins played in 12 games last year and caught 76 passes for 656 yards and 5 touchdowns. His season high in receiving yards came on December 23 when he had 5 receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown in a 34-11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent much of 2023 dealing with lingering rib and hamstring injuries but hopes to put those behind him next year and show that he is indeed a top receiver in this league.

    Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati Bengals on Twitter

    The impact of Higgins’s signing his franchise tender in June and reporting to Bengals training camp can’t be anything but beneficial. Having a healthy Joe Burrow throwing passes and working on the critical element of timing with one of his key receivers in July instead of August is absolutely critical to doing what the Bengals have often struggled to do in years past: start the season strong.

    They lost 3 out of their first 5 in both 2022 and 2023. Joe Burrow’s injury no doubt played a large role in that last year. However, having both he and Higgins healthy, in sync, and on the field ready to go for the first part of 2024 will be a welcome sight for all of Who Dey Nation.

    While there was never really a significant belief that Higgins would sit out the 2024 season, there was plenty of uncertainty about just when he would sign and/or report for offseason workouts. With those questions safely behind them, the hope is that the team can focus on their work on the practice field.

    Bengals Training Camp presented by Kettering Health kicks off on Wednesday, July 24. Training camp practices will take place at the Kettering Health Practice Fields located just west of Paycor Stadium. Practices will continue through August 20th. The Bengals first preseason game is on August 10th against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    What do you think about Higgins’ extension? Let us know in the comments here or on Facebook, or drop us a line at the email below!

    _______________________

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • All new episode: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball

    All new episode: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – In this week’s podcast episode, Chris and Mark break down the Reds’ fight to get back to .500 and closer to the division leading Milwaukee Brewers. They also discuss Elly De La Cruz’s recent struggles and how best he can turn it around and become the player we all hope he can be. After previewing the Bearcat basketball team last week, Mark gives his thoughts on the upcoming football season for the Cats and how the offense will be the strength of the team this year. Finally, the guys discuss whether it’s over for Dallas in the NBA Finals, and just how the Celtics were able to make it look so easy along the way.

    Come join us for a listen, and hope you enjoy a great local sports podcast!

    All this and more on The Queen City Sports Podcast, take a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!

    _______________________

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Ohio Sports Roundup: Reds Take on Guardians, Kappa Extended, and the Cavaliers Search for a Coach

    Ohio Sports Roundup: Reds Take on Guardians, Kappa Extended, and the Cavaliers Search for a Coach

    by Chris Ball

    Queen City Sports from Loveland, Ohio

    The Cincinnati Reds After taking 3 of 4 from the Chicago Cubs the Reds split their series against the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians are 20 games over .500 and in first place in the American League Central Division and the Reds played them just about as tough as they have against the Dodgers and Phillies, two other division leading clubs. Against those three the Reds are 9-7 this year and have played some solid baseball in getting those wins.

    Perhaps the biggest story from the Guardians series was the continued hot bat of Jeimer Candelario. He hit 2 more home runs in the Reds 4-2 win over Cleveland on June 12 including what would be the game winner. His three run bomb in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Reds a 4-2 lead that their bullpen would never relinquish. It also spoiled a great outing by Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee who still finished the game with 11 strikeouts in just 5.1 innings. Since May 27, Candelario is hitting .306 with 19 hits, 6 home runs, 12 RBIs and 8 runs scored.

    Other Reds batters are staying hot in June. This includes a surprising run by Will Benson, hitting .333 with a .967 OPS in his last 15 games. Jake Fraley in his last 15 is batting .293 while TJ Friedl has 3 home runs and 11 RBIs.

    Cincinnati next faces the Milwaukee Brewers tonight at 8:10 PM. The Brewers sit atop the NL Central with a 7 game lead over both the Reds and Cubs. If they can take this series on the road and claw back at least a game or two from Milwaukee, Reds fans will have plenty of reasons to be optimistic going forward.

    The Cincinnati Bengals

    The Bengals finished their mandatory mini camp this week. All of the major players were in attendance, including a few that were absent for the voluntary OTAs such as Ja’Marr Chase and Trent Brown. Tee Higgins has yet to make an appearance as he continues his holdout, but this was something all sides were clearly prepared for.

    The main storyline this week remained former first round pick Dax Hill and his reps with the first team defense while battling for a job at cornerback against DJ Turner. By all reports Hill, a former safety, looked very good at his new position. There remains a lot of optimism that he can be a quality starter at the position, even if his time at safety may be at an end. Hill was a versatile athlete at the University of Michigan and played both safety and cornerback there, and so that flexibility should serve him well as he tries to see the field as much as possible next year for the Bengals.

    Another positive development for the Bengals this week was the extension they reached with center Ted Karras. Karras signed an extension that will keep with the team through the 2025 season. Early reports indicate that the next two years of his contract will pay him about 12 million. He’s started 36 games since joining the Bengals in 2022. Last year, according to PFF he was the 15th highest graded center and allowed 6 sacks  All numbers aside, Kerras is a team captain and has been a stalwart for the Bengals on the line for several years. Consistency and communication will be paramount for Cincinnati’s front five in 2025. Having a veteran back at the center position is absolutely essential to our success next year.

    The Cleveland Cavaliers

    The Cavaliers are a team with many substantial questions this offseason. The future of two of its key stars are up in the air in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. But the decision that may be the most crucial of all is which coach will take the reigns in 2024 and beyond.

    The name that seems to have the most buzz over recent weeks is James Borrego the former Charlotte Hornets head coach. Borrego, a Gregg Popovich protégé and two-time champion as an assistant, has a 148-183 mark as head coach with Charlotte and Orlando. But he has many of the qualities that Cleveland is seeking to build the team around going forward, including the ability to build a dynamic offense built around dynamic players (such as Zion Williamson in New Orleans) and he is a coach that his former players have spoken very highly of.

    The Cavaliers are in no hurry to name a successor to JB Bickerstaff. But announcing a new head coach soon will likely be the catalyst that spells the decisions of both Mitchell and Garland. It’s possible that the future of Cleveland’s basketball team for the next several years to come will be defined by the decisions President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman makes in the next few weeks.

    ______________

    A new Loveland Magazine feature: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to LovelandSportsGuy@gmail.com!

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • A new Loveland Magazine feature: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball

    A new Loveland Magazine feature: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – For the inaugural episode of The Queen City Sports Podcast, your hosts Chris Ball and Mark Raines bring you all the latest on the red-hot Cincinnati Reds, fresh off of their sweep of the Colorado Rockies and their quest to climb back into contention in the National League Central. Mark also brings his unique insight into a huge offseason for the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team. Also, hear their takes about the future of Bengals wideouts Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase as the Bengals OTA’s come to a close.

    All this and more on The Queen City Sports Podcast, take a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!

     

    _________________________

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Cincinnati Bengals Apply the Franchise Tag to Tee Higgins

    Cincinnati Bengals Apply the Franchise Tag to Tee Higgins

    Photo by Wikimedia Commons

    Though a Long-Term Deal May Still Be a Possibility, Absent a Holdout, The Bengals Should Have Their Clutch Second Wide Receiver Back In 2024

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – As most expected, this weekend the Cincinnati Bengals applied the franchise tag to wide receiver Tee Higgins. I previously discussed what the franchise tag could potentially mean for the team and for Tee going forward, but the fact that the Bengals chose to use the tag so soon in the offseason leads to some interesting speculation about what the future could bring.

    The franchise tag makes it extremely likely that Tee Higgins will be on this team for at least one more year. However, as early as a few days ago there were reports that both sides were working towards a deal that would keep Higgins in the orange and black for multiple years. But the fact that the team opted immediately resort to the franchise tag so soon after those negotiations even began leads to legitimate concerns that both sides are still miles apart.

     

     

    The absolute worst-case scenario is that the two sides of can’t get a deal done and Tee refuses to report and play under the guaranteed one-year contract he has been given. On the other end the optimistic outlook is that the exercise of the franchise tag allows both sides to continue to negotiate and come to some sort of agreement on a contract that benefits all parties.

    The fact that the franchise tag came so early in the offseason is a legitimate cause to be concerned about how badly the negotiations may be going. And yet, it is hard to see a player as committed as Tee Higgins choosing to abandon the entire 2024 season by sitting out simply because he didn’t get the contract he wanted.

    At the same time, Bengals fans shouldn’t trick themselves into believing that Higgins will fetch some sort of massive haul on the trade market. The tag and trade scenarios simply don’t make sense given the Bengals’ history of avoiding that very situation, and that most teams likely wouldn’t be willing to part with significant picks or players that would make such a trade worthwhile for the Bengals.

     

     

    The Bengals have a surplus of cap space, and they need a proven second option behind Ja’Marr Chase. This gives them more flexibility to keep Tee on the squad for one more year to run it back and give the Bengals the best chance to make it back to the Super Bowl.

    The primary focus now should be ensuring that if the Bengals can’t give Tee Higgins the multi year contract that he wants, that they get him ready for at least one more year with the Bengals to make a run at a championship.

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

     

  • What Does The Future Hold For Tee Higgins?

    What Does The Future Hold For Tee Higgins?

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – Injuries derailed so much of the promise last season for the Bengals. While the most crucial was to Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins also missed five games due to various injuries and was limited to just 42 receptions, the lowest total of his career. It was very bad timing in a contract year for a player who surely wanted to show the Bengals and the league that he was deserving of a big payday.

    That leaves Higgins and the Bengals in a very unique position this offseason. The team has $53.2 million in cap space which is good for sixth-most in the NFL. There is money to spend , but also plenty of needs to fill including an impending mega-extension for Ja’Marr Chase.

    This is why many Bengals pundits believe that the Franchise Tag is the most likely option with respect to Higgins’ contract status going forward. Briefly, the Franchise Tag a would allow the Bengals to retain Higgins at a salary that reflects the average of the top five players at his position or 120% of his previous salary – whichever figure is higher. There are two types of “tags” the exclusive tag, which would prevent Tee from negotiating with any other team and would fully guarantee his salary.

    The other is the non-exclusive tag which allows players to negotiate with other teams even if they are tagged. If Tee reaches a deal with another team, the Bengals would retain the right to match the deal if they wish. If they choose not to match and Tee signs somewhere else the Bengals would receive a pair of first-round picks as compensation for losing him.

    The average salary of the top five wide receivers would mean that if the Franchise Tag is applied to Tee his potential contract would be for one year at $20.7 million. Bengals fans may recall that this was the track taken by the team with respect to Jessie Bates who played out his year on the Franchise Tag before signing with the Atlanta Falcons last year. It wasn’t a very pretty process as Bates skipped all offseason workouts and much of training camp before finally signing his contract for the year. And just as with Higgins, there were logistical issues in offering Bates a lucrative long-term deal given the need for yet another gargantuan contract the following year for an irreplaceable star player: Joe Burrow.

    It seems unlikely that the Bengals and Higgins will reach an agreement on any sort of extension, though it is a possibility. That leaves the Franchise Tag as the most viable option. The Bengals must tag Higgins by March 5 but the two sides can still negotiate for a longer deal. If they can’t agree by July 15 then (if put in place) the tag becomes official and Tee would be playing on the one-year contract.

    That isn’t necessarily the end of the story, however. There is a question as to whether Tee Higgins would play under the tag. Though it’s rare, players have threatened to sit out an entire season rather than play under the cloud of a one-year contract. While it’s too early to predict what Higgins’ reaction might be, contract talks and the millions of dollars at issue rarely lead to simple or clean solutions.

    The Bengals could apply the tag to Higgins and then trade him to another team that could then work out a longer contract, which is commonly referred to as a “tag and trade.” However, the Bengals are not known for even normal trades much less trades of players playing under the Franchise Tag.

    If Tee Higgins is back for another year, no matter how that’s accomplished, it will undoubtedly be a good thing for this team. Yes, he was injured last year and had some issues with drops, but he showed that he still can be a dynamic and impactful wide receiver. You have no further to look than his 80-yard touchdown against the Steelers to see that when healthy he is a top tier wide receiver.

    Tyler Boyd is gone, Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas are young and developing. The Bengals have no consistent threats at tight end. A healthy and productive Tee Higgins punishes teams for double teaming Ja’Marr Chase and frees him up to run deeper routes. Higgins is athletic for his size and strong enough to out muscle most corners in the NFL.

    Even if it is for one year at 20 million, getting Tee Higgins on the field for this team in 2024 is an absolute priority. The window for the Bengals to win and make deep playoff runs will not stay open forever, especially as superstars like Chase (rightfully) will be paid vast sums of money, shrinking the pie for other players on this team.

    While that window is open, the Bengals must do whatever is necessary to put the best players on the field. Players like Tee Higgins.

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Official statements from Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and NFL

    Official statements from Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and NFL

    Photo by Cincinnati Bengals

    7:36 AM – Tuesday, January 3, 2023

    Up-dated at 8:38 AM with this Buffalo Bills Statement

    The Buffalo Bills issued the following statement at 1:48 am on Damar Hamlin’s condition.

    Photo by Buffalo Bills

    “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in the Buffalo Bills’ game versus the Cincinnati Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

    Hamlin’s injury took place at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter. The game was postponed by the NFL after Hamlin received medical attention on the field.

    The team and all of the sports world continue to pray for his recovery. Get well soon Damar!

    Statement: Cincinnati Bengals

    The Bills at Bengals game has been suspended until further notice. We will provide more details as they are available.

    From Bengals.com:

    The Bengals’ Monday night game against the Bills at Paycor Stadium was postponed when Bills safety Damar Hamlin was taken from the field in critical condition.

    Hamlin went down with 5:58 left in the first quarter when he tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins after what appeared to be routine a 13-yard gain. He got up and then suddenly collapsed.

    NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

    “Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills,” Goodell said in the statement. “We will provide more information as it becomes available. The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association, which is in agreement with postponing the game.”

    A pall quickly fell over the most anticipated Monday Night Football game in recent memory that was not only taking place before a national television audience but in front of an overflow crowd thought to be the biggest crowd in Paycor history.

    Hamlin, 24, is a second-year player from the University of Pittsburgh.

    In a midnight media conference call, Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, said the decision to postpone the game came after the head coaches, Zac Taylor of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills, met with their teams back in the locker rooms.

    “It was fluid and things were changing by the minute. The emotions you can imagine in both locker rooms,” said Vincent, who along with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith were patched into conversations with the coaches and head referee Shawn Smith.

    “I commend both of those coaches. Tough situation to go back and look at 53 men in the locker room to just try and calm people down. It was obvious on the phone with them that emotions were extremely high. It was a very volatile situation and I think the coaches, they led tonight. They led their locker rooms.”

    Vincent said there was no thought of resuming the game after a five-minute delay.

    “Five-minute warmup never crossed my mind, personally. And I was the one,” Vincent said, “that was communicating with the Commissioner. We never, frankly, it never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play. That’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive. And that’s not a place that we should ever be in.”

    Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs & policy, said there has been no thought about how the league plans to address the unprecedented postponement when it comes to a future date. It won’t be Tuesday. The Bills planned to fly home Monday night, although the league said some of Hamlin’s teammates stayed behind to be with him.

    “That’s not the consideration right now,” Miller said. “Our concern is for the player and his well-being. At the appropriate time, I’m sure that we’ll have a conversation around the next steps regarding the game.”

    The Official Statement from the NFL:

    Tonight’s Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game has been postponed after Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin collapsed, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced.

    Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition.

    Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

    The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.

    The NFL Network:

    Bills safety Damar Hamlin in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest; Buffalo-Cincinnati game postponed

    Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bills announced early Tuesday morning. He is currently sedated and in critical condition.

    With just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter Monday night, Hamlin tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins after a 13-yard catch. Hamlin got to his feet, then collapsed backward. Hamlin received CPR while on the field. According to the Bills, his heartbeat was restored on the field before he was transported in an ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further testing and treatment.

    After initially suspending play, the NFL announced the game had been postponed.

    “Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills,” the NFL said in a statement on Monday. “We will provide more information as it becomes available. The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”

    The NFLPA said it had been in touch with both teams and the league, and is focused on Hamlin’s “health and well-being.”

    Hamlin was attended to immediately by medical staff, with players from both teams surrounding him, many of them visibly emotional. After Hamlin was taken to the hospital, officials spoke with coaches from both teams. The decision was then made to suspend play, with players and coaches exiting the field to the locker room, before the game was ultimately postponed.

    On a conference call with the media a couple hours after the game’s postponement, NFL executive vice president of personnel Troy Vincent said there was never any conversation about a five-minute warmup period to resume play, as was referenced during the ESPN broadcast.

    “It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play,” Vincent said. “That’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive.”

    Bills players were scheduled to travel back to Buffalo from Cincinnati on Monday night, with a handful of members from the organization staying back to support Hamlin, Vincent said. Members of the Bengals organization, including head coach Zac Taylor, also went to the hospital to check on Hamlin, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported.

    There are currently no plans to resume the Bills-Bengals game and a determination on that will be made at an appropriate time, NFL EVP of communications, public affairs and policy Jeff Miller said on the conference call. The game was halted with six minutes remaining in the first quarter and the Bengals leading, 7-3.

    Since his hospitalization, there has been an outpouring of support to a community fundraiser Hamlin previously established.

    Hamlin was a sixth-round pick of the Bills in the 2021 NFL Draft. He made his first career start in Week 3 of this season after Buffalo safety Micah Hyde sustained a season-ending injury. Hamlin has remained in the starting lineup ever since.