“It’s allowing the Bengals to buy themselves enough time to maybe work out a deal,” Johnson said. “But if you wanted to work out a deal, you would’ve done it a long time ago. There was nothing wrong with me the previous season. OK, I proved myself. I was productive again.”

The Cincinnati Bengals are utilizing the franchise tag for the second consecutive season on the same player as wide receiver Tee Higgins has been hit with the tag once again. The Bengals, who announced the move Monday, do not want to allow Higgins to hit free agency, and will now turn their attention to negotiating a long-term deal.

The Cincinnati Bengals have placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins for a second time, as the team hopes to work out a long-term deal with the star wide receiver