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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has signaled his intention to stay with the team for the upcoming 2024 season, putting an end to speculation about his future amid contract negotiations.

In a statement made to reporters during his youth football camp on Sunday, Higgins expressed his anticipation of playing for Cincinnati in the coming season. The fifth-year wideout had previously requested a trade after the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him earlier in the offseason.

Bengals franchise-tagged wide receiver Tee Higgins, who requested to be traded last month, anticipates playing for Cincinnati in
2024, he told reporters Sunday at his youth football camp.

Story via @Ben_Baby:https://t.co/El7YcI9V88

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2024

“I do anticipate it,” Higgins affirmed, as reported by WXIX-TV. “I”ve grown a love for Cincinnati that I didn”t think I would. [I”m] looking forward to it.”

Higgins’ decision comes after two years of contract negotiations between him and the Bengals, during which they were unable to reach a long-term agreement. Despite this, the Bengals remained committed to retaining Higgins for the 2024 season, evident in their use of the franchise tag.

Last season, Higgins faced setbacks due to injuries, including a rib injury in Week 4 and a hamstring issue ahead of Week 10, which caused him to miss a total of five games. His performance also saw a decline, with career lows in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns.

However, the Bengals’ faith in Higgins remains strong, offering him a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth $21.8 million under the franchise tag. Negotiations for a long-term contract can continue until July 15, offering both parties a window to reach a more permanent agreement.

Higgins is among the few players who have tagged this offseason yet to secure a contract extension with their respective teams, alongside Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Among their peers, players like Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. have recently inked lucrative deals, highlighting the ongoing negotiations across the league.

Despite his contract status”s uncertainty, Higgins’ on-field performance speaks volumes. With over 3,600 receiving yards since entering the league in 2020, he remains one of the top talents from his draft class, poised to make a significant impact for the Bengals in the upcoming season.

One of the biggest questions over the course of this offseason was whether or not Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins would be with the team next season. The Clemson product has reportedly been angry about the organization’s lack of motivation to extend him to a long-term contract. After the announcement to franchise tag the star on the first day of the free agency window, Higgins let his frustrations loose by requesting a trade from the team that drafted him with the 33rd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

As of this moment, the story that everyone is talking about is the interview that Higgins gave during his youth football camp on Sunday morning. The star wideout went on record and said that he “loves Cincinnati more than he thought he would” and that he “expects to be with the team next season”. The full interview is listed below.

While the interview is certainly positive for the organization, fans need to dramatically lower their expectations. This is a player who has clearly made a habit of playing with the fans on social media in order to achieve his career goals. A perfect example of that is the Instagram post he made last month alluding to the organization holding him prisoner over his contract negotiations. That being said, do you think that the place he was going to air his grievances is going to be at his youth football camp in Cincinnati?

The best part of the interview from Higgins is that it provides the team with some negotiating power when it comes to trading the elite target man. With the bad press he has given the team over the past few weeks, other organizations aren’t necessarily knocking down the door to trade for a player who doesn’t even want to be here anyway. This interview provides the team with some stability weeks ahead of the NFL Draft when the team is going to be most likely to deal Higgins for draft capital.