The Bengals have applied the franchise tag to WR Tee Higgins for the second straight season, according to multiple sources. That'll keep Higgins from hitting free agency and lock him into at least a one-year deal that would pay about $26 million. Cincinnati can afford to fit that number under the 2025 salary cap, according to Spotrac's numbers. But the Bengals would likely prefer to work out a longer-term deal with the 26-year-old.

Bengals WR Andrei Iosivas ranked second on the team in routes for Sunday's loss to the Eagles, with WR Tee Higgins sidelined. But he drew just 3 targets -- tied for fifth on the team -- and caught none of them.

ESPN's Dan Graziano hears that there's "pessimism" about Bengals WR Tee Higgins' availability for Sunday's game vs. the Eagles. Higgins was added to the injury report with a quad on Friday, limited in practice, and listed as questionable. "The Bengals are planning to go right up until game time before deciding" on Higgins' status, Graziano adds. We'll look for more updates on Higgins on Sunday morning and get Cincinnati's inactives around 11:30 am ET. His absence would mean more target potential for WR Ja'Marr Chase, WR Andrei Iosivas, and the Bengals RBs and TEs. It'd also be a significant loss for QB Joe Burrow.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow entered Sunday’s game without WR Tee Higgins (hamstring). But despite a tough matchup at Kansas City, the 27-year-old managed 258 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs.