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.
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!
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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.
