The Cincinnati Bengals placed the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins on Monday for the second year in a row. The franchise tag will prevent Higgins from reaching from free agency as the Bengals intend to "work toward a long-term deal in Cincinnati" with Higgins.

It’s possible that he may be a little confused by the Bengals using the franchise tag on Higgins when they’ve stated their hope of signing him to a long-term deal. A franchise tag can be a temporary placeholder before a long-term deal, but it can also just be a one-year contract.