Higgins and the Bengals will not agree to a contract extension by Monday's deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Higgins signed his franchise tag in mid-June and will play on that tag this year before likely becoming a free agent in the 2025 offseason. Per Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site, it's possible the Bengals could franchise-tag Higgins again or work on a tag-and-trade scenario, though it's likely that this will be his final season as a Bengal. Higgins missed five games last season due to injuries but racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in both of the prior two campaigns.