Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith were the only two NFL players to receive the franchise tag before Tuesday's deadline. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that Evan Kaplan reported that the total number of two players was the fewest tagged since 1994.

The Cincinnati Bengals continue to take some heat for the Tee Higgins franchise tag. Some of it comes from franchise greats, too. Chad Johnson, appearing on ESPN's "First Take" after the news of a second Higgins franchise tag hit the airwaves,

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.