On Tuesday afternoon, the leadership of the Bengals made some remarks regarding wide receiver Tee Higgins. Later that evening, Higgins responded with a single emoji on social media.

Higgins shared the cap emoji on Twitter, a common symbol used to indicate that someone believes a falsehood has been expressed.

This alleged misinformation seems to stem from a statement made by Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, who stated that the team plans to secure Higgins with a long-term contract.

The Bengals utilized the franchise tag on Higgins for the 2024 season, valued at $21.8 million. If they choose to apply it again in 2025, the figure would increase by 20 percent, reaching $26.16 million. This figure would serve as a foundation for any negotiations regarding a multi-year agreement.

In essence, the Bengals need to present Higgins with a compelling offer that would convince him to forgo a potential $26.16 million payday in 2025 and the opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, given the prohibitive costs associated with a third franchise tag.

Higgins may suspect that the Bengals are merely going through the motions with their long-term discussions, intending to tag him again to retain his services for another season — or possibly to tag and trade him.

Regardless of the specifics, Higgins seems to be signaling that he believes there is deception at play. The timing of his cap emoji, posted on the same day Duke Tobin mentioned plans for a long-term contract, suggests that this statement is likely the focal point of Higgins’s assertion.

The Bengals have until Tuesday, March 4, to place the tag on Higgins. They would then have until mid-July to convert the one-year tender into a long-term agreement.

At this juncture, it would be prudent for Higgins to wait and see if he receives a second tag. If that occurs, it would effectively block the Bengals or any other team from using the franchise tag on him again. A subsequent tag would trigger the more restrictive rules governing a third franchise tag.