What’s next for Tee Higgins, the only franchise-tagged player left unsigned?

Three months have passed since the Cincinnati Bengals informed wide receiver Tee Higgins they were placing the franchise tag on him. In the time since, Higgins requested a trade before reluctantly admitting fate is out of his hands and the most likely scenario has him playing under the tag.

Now, weeks of organized team activities are underway and Higgins has yet to participate, refusing to sign on the dotted line for a guaranteed $21.816 million salary.

Mandatory minicamp for the Bengals begins June 11 and it’s a high probability Higgins will continue the holdout. The more time that passes, the increased possibility a phone call or two sparks greater interest for the Bengals’ brain trust, headed by owner Mike Brown, director of player personnel Duke Tobin and vice president Katie Blackburn, to send Higgins elsewhere.

Four teams make the most sense, possessing the cap space to fit nearly $22 million guaranteed and have room to add an impact receiver for their offense.

The Chargers went through an offseason renaissance, adding head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz, who executed enormous roster turnover headlined by trading wide receiver Keenan Allen and releasing Mike Williams. They’ve yet to fill the void of either receiver and quarterback Justin Herbert needs weapons. Higgins could be their answer.

The move could be a splash for first-year GM Hortiz, who was previously with Baltimore, meaning he’s watched Higgins twice a season for the past four years. And if he hated watching Higgins go against him (414 yards, 4 TDs in seven games), he may want to make him a Charger all the more.

The Lions are no longer the underdog. If they want to keep it that way, adding Higgins to their offense as they make another push at glory could be a part of the equation.

The Lions already possess a strong receiving unit led by wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, expected breakout candidate Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond, and tight end Sam LaPorta. And while the Lions would like to get Williams going in Year 3, bringing in a guaranteed product like Higgins outweighs the potential of Williams. Though Higgins would eat into Williams’ target share, his presence would free up Williams and give quarterback Jared Goff a litany of options to move the ball downfield.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the loss in the NFC Championship game that it will be “twice as hard to get back to this point next year.” Adding Higgins would make it easier.

The new ownership in Washington have shown real interest in building a competitive football team. Proving it with actions, not words, will appease the fan base. One easy move would be to give their No. 2 overall pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels, the tools to succeed.

The Commanders have the second-most cap space of any team. If things pan out, they’ll have a rookie quarterback window to build a roster around. Making moves now is in their best interest and landing Higgins will improve their offense.

In 2023, the Commanders were ranked No. 24 in scoring offense and third down conversions. Higgins helps with both areas, being a consistent chain-mover and scoring threat. Pairing him with wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson to replace Curtis Samuel would give the Commanders receiving unit a mighty upgrade.

In a similar vein to the Commanders, the Patriots window to building for the present and future begins now after drafting quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick.

Their offense needs immediate production to give Maye every opportunity to succeed. As they’ve shed big-money deals to free up their checkbook, they can begin writing new checks to usher in a new era, headlined by Maye and head coach Jerod Mayo.

The Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart is lacking. Last season, Higgins’ finished with a career-low of 656 receiving yards. No pass-catcher for the Patriots last season came within 100 yards of him. With a greater target share, Higgins could go back to producing 1,000 yards and become an fixture of their offense as they look to become contenders in the near future.

Especially after big contracts were handed out to Jaylen Waddle and Nico Colllins in the last month of May, and every other tagged player from this offseason signed a massive contract extension, the most likely option for the Bengals and their Super Bowl aspirations is keeping Higgins on the $21.8 million franchise tag, and maybe even a second franchise tag at more than $26 million.