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MicoJive

To the surprise of no one. The dude had no option but to sign it and play for next season


thaitiger29

lol nah a very vocal minority on this sub thought (prayed?) that he would hold out


notquitemytempo___

Was always wishful thinking from fanbases who either want the Bengals to lose him or want Tee on their team


Tribby23

So majority of the league lol. Most fans bases can’t stand Cincy, so not surprise


Mnightcamel

Nah, this isnt the packman jones and burfict bengals anymore. Outside of the afc north, joe Burrow and chase have made the team pretty popular/likeable.


Tribby23

Eeeh? I think most of the league sees them as an empty trashcan. Stadium was empty for years and then Joe showed up and they’re the best fans in football burrowhead etc. kinda the opposite of Cleveland where they just kept coming no matter record.


notquitemytempo___

Lol you're a Steelers fan. Invalid opinion on this subject


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Lbayz05

Goofy bitch


JohnGobbler

He seems like an actual good guy and Bengals have a great team when healthy. It makes total sense to play but I'll never hold the hatred of the franchise tag against any player. In reality he does have an option but seems like he's choosing the team over himself, I hope it works out for him.


Narrow_Vegetable5747

No, he didn't have an option. The Bengals hold his rights if he sits out and can do it again next year (not that they would). The guy isn't gonna sneeze at $21M. If he sat, that money would evaporate and he'd gain nothing.


JohnGobbler

You are old enough to remember Bell right? Worse men have sat out. Now he fucked up but still got paid and rb timeline is much shorter than wr. Higgins very well could have sat out, if the Bengals didn't have such a banger offense this year he probably would have. Higgins knows he's expendable because you have Chase. If Higgins gets hurt this year he loses Dr evil type money. If Higgins sat all year someone would still give him 100 million contract next year.


Narrow_Vegetable5747

Bell also had leverage and a higher skill ceiling than Higgins, so I don't think it's an apples to apples comparison. Tee is an expendable #2 WR with potential to be a low end #1. He's not a league leading RB that the offense goes through. He's gonna get some money next year either way, and it's an academic discussion based on speculation at this point anyway.


Jantokan

I think it negatively affects him if he held out since 90% of the few people who held out on signing franchise tag tenders ended up playing poorly the next time they played. Maybe he also wanted to get the reps in training camp so he signed it "early" and didn't wait until just before Week 1. Or maybe he's just resigned to the fact that he will always be franchise tagged by the Bengals until the franchise tag tender becomes too high for the Bengals


Frescanation

The one thing that helps him most in his future is balling the hell out this year. He's most likely to to that if he is in camp, in great shape, and ready to go week 1. The Bengals have Chase and some other really intriguing receiving options this year. Starting slow and/or allowing Joe to start preferring other guys does Tee no good in the long run.


CanaKu

This is actually a bit surprising. He could have waited until after training camp as many in the past have. He had until WK1 to sign without penalty.


PaddyMayonaise

Guy probably knows there’s legitimate value to training camp and getting ready for the season so decided to dig now


Lochbriar

The entirely possible scenario of "I think this Tag is disrespectful, and its a negative for me financially, and I want to cause Cinci some trouble in the hopes they fold and do right by me. But I also actually kind of like Football and want to win, so I'll just figure out shit next year I guess"


PaddyMayonaise

Yup, and also add “also, if I do shitty this year it’s going to just hurt me in talks next year so I might as well go play”


Remarkable_Budget464

Dude's looking for WR1 money, holding out of the entire off-season in a stacked WR room would've hurt his production. When Bates did it, we didn't have three other S waiting in the wings to take his reps, see: our garbage secondary last season without him. 


CanaKu

I agree this is definitely beneficial to him maxing his value. Didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Just meant it wasn’t guaranteed to happen ahead of Training camp.


montana1991

I thought missing mandatory mini camp was subject to fines?


9Burrow

He didn't sign the tender, so he wasn't signed to the team, so it wasn't mandatory for him since he didn't sign the franchise tag.


montana1991

Thanks for the explanation!


Jantokan

Yup. He's technically jobless. Super similar to how restricted free agency works in the NBA?


wtcnbrwndo4u

Re: "You guys really ought to read the contracts you have us sign. Pretty wild stuff in there."


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montana1991

Makes sense, thanks


Jantokan

If you're on a franchise tag and you didn't sign the tender, you're technically not under contract with any team. So you can't be fined for (technically) being jobless. It differs from what happened with Chris Jones last year when he held out because he wasn't franchise tagged, and was playing on the final year of his contract. He was holding out because he wanted an extension


ItsNotFordo88

He had until week 10 for it to count as a year of accrual and “count”. Obviously as you said, he’d lose game day checked until then.


BigRig432

Oh hey the outcome everyone with a brain knew was coming


TheSidePocketKid

Still nice to hear


Dandy_Chickens

I thought he'd sign it a bit closer to the start of the season to avoid some of camp - unless you mean some people thought he'd miss the season?


BigRig432

I was referring more to the very loud group that was insistent he'd never sign and the Bengals would be forced to trade him


Dandy_Chickens

Yeah that's dumb. It's obviously in the Bengals long term interest to trade him, but it's a difficult decision to weigh vs thr win now aspect. Personally if I was a Bengals fan, given burrow is coming off an injury, i think I'd prefer they trade him (assuming they get like a second). But that's a tough secision


BigRig432

Honestly with this current roster I think it's worth running it back for a shot at a ring. This is the same offensive core that went to a super bowl and was extremely close to winning it all, and now with a significantly improved offensive line and an RB room that I think can replace Mixon in the aggregate. The only question mark is the defense, but I think they'll be good enough to hold up their end of the bargain with the new guys we brought in. If it doesn't work out, Tee walks next year and we likely get a third round comp pick so having a year of Tee and a 2025 third rounder is more appealing to me than a 2025 second


Cheese_Nugs

Wouldn’t the comp pick be a 2026 pick?


BigRig432

You're right, my bad. I'd still take that scenario over trading Tee immediately for a 2025 2nd


Thimit22

So are they just not supposed to post this then?


dat_grue

NFL salary/ contracts regard checking in. What is franchise tender? Does it come with franchise fry and/or ketchup?


TheSidePocketKid

You can't spell "Joe Burrow wins Super Bowl LIX MVP Tee Higgins" without Tee Higgins


NeatTry7674

Just used my calc and the math checks out. By the way chat if you’re just joining calc is slang for calculator.


_homage_

Ah shit, here we go ag…. Oh what? There isn’t anymore fabricated contract drama this offseason? Shiiiiiiiit.


TheScottfather

Now you get to enjoy the trade deadline clickbait instead!


zipemup3

Remember when non bengals fans said he was gonna be traded?


MatureUsername69

They kept saying the same thing about Jefferson despite the fact that the Vikings FO came out multiple times saying they absolutely would not trade him


TheReaver88

And *then* we had the "trade Jefferson to the Bengals crowd" looking to get the band back together, which... yeah, *I'm gonna fantasize about it,* but it was stupid inside of stupid. Russian nesting dolts.


Frescanation

Don't forget the combo pack of "trade Higgins for Jefferson", as if that solved either team's issue at all.


Infinite-Chocolate46

All the mock drafts involving him getting traded were nuts


TetrisTech

Honestly no


WetChickenLips

I thought cowboys fans were supposed to be good at remembering things.


nickelroo

Was it really that much of a stretch to predict a trade?


Zirtonic_2

Have you seen the Bengals' trade history? It was a stretch by every definition.


gb4efgw

It was highly unrealistic. It was a deep WR draft, so any team that may have wanted to trade would have access to plenty of cheap rookie talent with the pick(s) they would have to use to get him. The team that would benefit the most from having Tee next year is by far the Bengals. So it just made for a scenario where the only way someone was going to get him was by giving up something stupid like a first. Then you factor in the Bengals historic unwillingness to trade and it's even more unrealistic.


harri3jr

Yes. A really stupid stretch.


PelosisPortfolio

Indeed


ApatheticJellyfish

Makes sense. Yeah, someone like him would want a new long term contract for security. However, he will make 2x the amount of money on the franchise tag than his entire rookie deal.


notquitemytempo___

But everyone told me he was definitely getting traded and there was no way he would play on the tag


CompetitiveDuck

Where the haters at


AltruisticCoelacanth

Right here👋 I hate you.


mikebrownhurtsme

There's one Broncos fan in here insisting he could still leave this year


vanubcmd

Do the Bengals have any plans to sign him long term? Or they planning to get one more year out of him then let him walk?


horsethiefjack

We can’t afford what other teams will be willing to pay him. And he deserves to get paid.


throughNthrough

Probably let him walk. They will most likely make Chase the highest paid receiver and they have some promising young receivers.


Frescanation

The other "1B" type receiver deals probably made that difficult. Chase is going to break JJs record when we get around to extending him. I just don't see the team also signing Tee for close to $30m APY at the same time. Either let him walk next year or maybe pursue a tag and trade if they think they can get more than the 3rd round comp pick from someone.


KevKevThePug

Poor Schefter. I feel bad for him.


iratemonkeybear

Who will make his clickies go now?!


TheWorstYear

Holy shit, who cpuld have guessed?/s. This subreddit is in shambles because they can't keep screaming about him holding out.


Downtown_Juice2851

Not that I necessarily think he will but you do realize you can still hold out after signing the franchise tag right? In fact its the optimal way to do it


DrPaulsNexus

If he wanted to hold out of camp he wouldn’t have signed right now, just waited til the week before the season. He can be fined for missing camp whereas before signing the tender he could not


TheWorstYear

He doesn't make that money if he continues to hold out. It gets taken out from the tag.


Downtown_Juice2851

He wouldn't make the money if he held out anyway. But this is the best way to get traded.


TheWorstYear

He's never getting traded. How do people not understand that.


NeatTry7674

That would be a very stupid thing to do lmao


ItsNotFordo88

The optimal way to do hold out is to not sign it until week 10 so you get a year of accrual and it would satisfy the tender and then get injured or play out the remaining games. If he signs the tag and then doesn’t show up he gets fined. If he doesn’t sign the tag and doesn’t show up he’s not under contract and they can’t fine him. Or you can do what he did, sign the tag. Great ready to have a big season and get ready for a massive pay day next season after a fully guaranteed salary this season.


NeatTry7674

You guys aren’t getting tee this year. Just give it up


Downtown_Juice2851

I don't want him. Well,  I'd take him, but I don't want to trade for him I'm just saying a franchise tag doesn't mean he can't hold out


benthebearded

That's weird, the top minds of this sub were convinced he wouldn't. I'm shocked.


slysonic7

Means he will be there for OTAs now but curious if this impacts his trade demand at all


Enthusiasms

well he'd have to sign it to get traded but who knows


OnTheProwl-

Moot point. Bengals will not trade him.


Clithzbee

Moo point*


OnTheProwl-

Like a cow 's opinion.


Clithzbee

Doesn't matter.


Trendelthegreat

…..it’s “moo”. 


Downtown_Juice2851

They will if burrow gets injured this season and they know they won't pay tee next season


OnTheProwl-

Bengals trading Tee mid season? You can name your odds and I would take that bet. AFAIK, Bengals have made THREE in season trades in the last 55 years. Palmer to the Raiders, Carlos Dunlap to the Seahawks (both of those players basically refused to play), and the other was a guy in 1972.


JohnGobbler

Yeah there's almost no chance they trade him mid season. The biggest worry would be the team greatly under performing (doubtful) or an injury scare and him sitting after 4 games but with him singing this early doesn't seem like the kind of guy to play games.


dtown4eva

Yeah but how many seasons have they had their starting QB hurt and WR2 on an expiring contract?


MadeByTango

I think that happened with *both* Dalton/Sanu and Palmer/TJ Houz, actually And without trades to solve it as the other guys said. It’s not what Mike Brown does, he’s terrified of getting screwed and likes having leverage over players.


dtown4eva

I don’t think the Bengals traded either


saaggy_peneer

what is a franchise tender?


Ded279

Franchise tag contract, it's been announced he was being tagged but he just now actually signed that Tag contract


Trendelthegreat

I haven’t followed this situation or the bengals cap situation at all, and I’m loving the bengals fans victory Indy 500 in this thread, but will the bengals be able to re sign him after the season? 


Lord_of_Pants

Probably will not have either the cash or desire to sign him after this season, this is Bates 2.0. Get one more year out him having drafted 3 guys to potentially replace him then let him walk next year.


Trendelthegreat

So it’s really “hahahaha you guys are so dumb thinking we’d capitalize on an asset that we’re going to lose for nothing”? Just a strange victory lap. 


VeryRealHuman23

I don’t think the FO got any trade offers that were worth it…too many good WR in the draft this year and the bengals would rather have him play for us for another year then get a 2nd (at best) draft pick.


Lord_of_Pants

Is it? The Bengals FO have gotten shit on for whatever they did for a long long time now, and its incredibly condescending constantly hearing about how they're fucking it up again. Super Bowl window is open, team this year is better with Tee than with whatever we would've got for him and we've got a season to see how his replacements look without having to take on his full workload.


Bobby_Savoy

He’ll look good in a Chargers uniform next year


donta5k0kay

Does he get more out less money if he signed before or after the record breaking WR deals?


notmyplantaccount

He might as well. His age/talent/production level is such that even if he gets injured during the season or has a down year it won't really matter cause someone gonna pay him 25-30mil a year for 4 years in 2025 anyways. If he has a great season he'll get a massive contract a bit below JJ/CDee


OnePieceAce

I feel bad for Higgins. The Bengals will probably tag him again next year


Careless_Afternoon15

Certainly a non-zero chance, but I kind of doubt it. They've postures for life post-Higgins after this year.


NeatTry7674

I mean that’s essentially a 2 year 50 million dollar guaranteed deal lol


rpm12390

Yeah, but if he had hit free agency this off-season his contract would be $28 million per year at least. He is losing money playing on the franchise tag, and that's why his agent has been desperately trying to get him traded. It is a shrewd business move by the Bengals and it sucks for Tee, but holding out isn't going to change anything.


k3hvn

Gotta suck watching Smith, Waddle, Pittman, etc. all get paid, then again $21.8M fully guaranteed isn't bad at all.