Had the team used the franchise tag on the free agent wide receiver, they would have had to give Houshmandzadeh a deal worth nearly $10 million for the year, a price the Bengals deemed to steep.

The Begals receiver told ESPN that there was a “90 something percent chance” that he would not be returning to Cincinnati and that he believes fellow receiver Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson’s days in Cinci are also numbered.

Houshmandzadeh has averaged nearly 100 catches for 1,000 yards over the past three years but saw his touchdown receptions drop from a career high 12 in 2007 to just 4 last year. Despite the drop in TD’s, Scouts Inc ranks the 8 year veteran as the top receiver available in this years free agent class.