Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist) said he expects to be cleared for contact in May. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft suffered a torn wrist ligament in his throwing hand on November 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. The injury ended his season after 10 games. After starting the season with a calf injury, Burrow threw for 2,309 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions before being sidelined. His recovery timeline puts him well on schedule to participate in all of the team's offseason activities, so this specific injury should not be a concern. However, he has now missed 13 games in four NFL seasons, so a future injury could be a risk. Either way, he is being valued as a mid or low-end QB1 in fantasy football. The team used the franchise tag on Tee Higgins, and Ja'Marr Chase is under contract, giving Burrow plenty of firepower to bounce back.

The Cincinnati Bengals announced on Thursday that quarterback Jake Browning has been issued a tender, which assures the team that they will retain his exclusive rights for the 2024 season. Browning now has the option of signing the team's tender offer or negotiating a long-term deal with the club. The 27-year-old made his NFL debut in 2023 for the Bengals and was forced into a starting role due to injuries to Joe Burrow. Browning ended up appearing in nine games (seven starts) and acquitted himself well with a league-high 70.4% completion percentage with 1,936 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's fully expected to be Burrow's top backup for the 2024 season, but he won't be on the fantasy radar again unless Burrow misses more time due to injury.

Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin hinted that the team doesn't plan on trading impending free-agent wide receiver Tee Higgins, who was given the franchise tag. "Really simple. He's a good player. We want to keep him. We have resources to do that. We're a better team with Tee," Tobin said. While it's great news for the Bengals if they keep Higgins around for another season, it's also bad news for his fantasy value entering the 2024 campaign. The 25-year-old would make $21.8 million this year if he ends up playing on the franchise tag. He played in just 11 games in 2023 due to hamstring and rib injuries, finishing with a disappointing 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns on 76 targets. A bounce-back season in 2024 for Higgins should be expected if he's healthy, but the presence of Ja'Marr Chase will continue to affect Higgins' ceiling if he remains in Cincy.

The Cincinnati Bengals informed impending free-agent wide receiver Tee Higgins on Friday that they will place the franchise tag on him, according to a source. Instead of trying to negotiate a long-term contract extension with Higgins right now, they will place the franchise tag on him by the deadline next week. This was always the most likely outcome for the 25-year-old, who played in just 12 games in 2023 due to injuries. He was a disappointment for fantasy managers, finishing with a career-low 42 catches on 76 targets for 656 yards and five touchdowns. Higgins could certainly bounce back with better health in 2024, but getting out from under the shadow of No. 1 receiver Ja'Marr Chase in Cincinnati would have been the best scenario for Higgins' fantasy value moving forward.

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. writes that all indications are pointing to the Cincinnati Bengals using their franchise tag on impending free-agent wide receiver Tee Higgins this offseason. The franchise tag for a receiver for 2024 would cost Cincy $20.7 million. One league source suggested the Bengals could place the tag on Higgins early in the window as a statement acknowledging that no long-term deal will be reached and opening the door for the rest of the league to consider or submit tag-and-trade offers. The team could also tag Higgins again in 2025 but would do so at 120 percent of this year, which would be for $24.8 million. The 25-year-old wideout was a major source of frustration for fantasy managers in 2023, as he played in a career-low 12 games, finishing with 42 catches for 656 yards and only five touchdowns. If he remains in Cincy, his ceiling and floor will be capped as long as he's in the shadow of Ja'Marr Chase.