Door officially slammed shut on breathtaking wide receiver's chances to sign with Panthers

In terms of free agent options at a position of need, it didn't get better than Tee Higgins to the Carolina Panthers. The former Clemson product was more talented than most free agent wideouts are, and he was also younger at 26 years old. Most players don't hit free agency that young and with that much talent, but Higgins was set to be an anomaly.

However, that is officially not happening anymore. It was always a long shot that the Panthers could win the sweepstakes with middling cap space anyway, but it would've been a dream signing for Bryce Young and the offense. Unfortunately, there's zero chance of that happening now.

The Bengals finally did what they were expected to on Monday. They franchise tagged Higgins, meaning he cannot be signed on the open market. Whatever chances the Panthers had of adding him, it's a 0% chance now. The door was mostly closed, but it's been slammed shut now.

After designating Tee Higgins as their franchise player for the second straight year, the Bengals said they did so with the “intent of continuing to work toward a long-term deal in Cincinnati.” pic.twitter.com/8jdRTaURG0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2025

The Bengals tagged him with the intention of signing him to a long-term deal, but that doesn't seem very likely with Joe Burrow on a franchise-record contract and Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendricks needing to be signed as well.

This also doesn't preclude Higgins from landing on another team. Remember that the Panthers franchise tagged Brian Burns last offseason, and he ended up with the New York Giants. Tag and trade scenarios happen.

Even if the Bengals do trade Higgins on the tag, it won't be to the Panthers in all likelihood. Doing so would mean they're poised to sign him to the long-term extension they currently can't afford. It would also cost a fair bit of draft capital.

While adding Higgins would be nice, it would not be worth parting with valuable draft picks. Higgins would cost a couple of high-round draft picks, and the Panthers desperately need those to rebuild a historically awful defense. Higgins was always a pipe dream, and now it's time to wake up.

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