This Cincinnati Bengals legend isn’t a fan of the Bengals placing the franchise tag on former Clemson star wide receiver Tee Higgins yet again.

On Monday, the Bengals announced that they have used their franchise tag on Higgins for the second straight year, “with the intent of continuing to work toward a long-term deal in Cincinnati.”

During ESPN’s First Take show on Tuesday, former Bengals great Chad Johnson called out the team for tagging Higgins two years in a row.

“It’s disrespectful,” Johnson said. “All it’s saying is the first year, you tagged me. OK. You want me to bet on myself, see if I can repeat it and do it again. The second time you tag me, it’s like when you like a girl, you’re interested in her, and she put you in the friend zone. I don’t really value you long-term, so I’m going to put you in the friend zone.”

The Bengals have until July 15 to reach agreement on a long-term extension with Higgins, who is coming off a 2024 season in which he ranked second on the team in catches (73) and receiving yards (911) and finished tied for sixth in the NFL with a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns.

“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.”

A second-round draft pick of the Bengals in 2020, Higgins is entering his sixth NFL season in 2025. He has caught 330 passes for 4,595 yards and 34 touchdowns across 70 career regular season games, while recording at least 900 receiving yards in four of his five seasons, including back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2021 and 2022.

Higgins has also appeared in seven playoff games and ranks second in team history in both postseason receptions (31) and postseason receiving yards (457).

If Higgins and the Bengals don’t reach a long-term extension by the July 15 deadline, he will earn $26.2 million in 2025, if he signs the franchise tender.

The 26-year-old would have been the top free agent this offseason, had the Bengals let him hit the open market.

“I love Tee Higgins. I love the Bengals. I love the organization,” added Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who spent the vast majority of his NFL career with the Bengals.

“But if you don’t value him long term, why even play this game? Let him go, let him walk. Because I have a great understanding, he has a great understanding what he can make on the open market.”