The New England Patriots could be out of the running to land star wide receiver Tee Higgins before free agency even begins.
James Rapien of Sports Illustrated reported Monday that the Cincinnati Bengals plan to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Higgins if the two sides don't agree to a long-term contract before the March 4 deadline. It would mark the second consecutive year Higgins was tagged.
With the non-exclusive franchise tag, which is worth a guaranteed $26.18 million, teams would still be able to negotiate a long-term deal with Higgins. However, it would cost them two first-round draft picks if Cincinnati didn't match the contract.