The New England Patriots will have to keep looking for the next addition to their receiving corps.
The Pats' rumored top free agency target, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, is staying in The Queen City for another year. The Bengals placed a $26.2 million franchise tag on Higgins, who has been a rumored Patriots free agency target since the end of the regular season, on Monday afternoon.
NFL insider Adam Schefter shared the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that "This marks the second straight year that the Bengals have used their franchise tag on Higgins.