The Cincinnati Bengals have made headlines this offseason. Mainly, it is because the Bengals decided to place their franchise tag on WR Tee Higgins. Now, he is one of the last tagged players yet to receive a contract extension.
Well, there may be a reason for this. An AFC North rival appears to want to trade for Higgins. Read below to find out which team it is and more details about this rumor.
Pittsburgh Steelers Want to Trade for Tee Higgins
According to Andrew Fillipponi, who is a podcast host for Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan, the Pittsburgh Steelers appear to want to trade for Tee Higgins. This would be challenging considering they play in the same division as the Cincinnati Bengals. Nevertheless, the Steelers appear to love Higgins and seem willing to take on the challenge of trying to acquire him. However, there are a couple of challenges the Steelers would face.
Challenges for Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers would face a few challenges trying to acquire Higgins. One of those challenges would be his contract. Right now, Higgins has just one year left on his contract. After that, he is likely going to demand an expensive extension.
Pittsburgh needs to decide what they would be willing to pay Higgins and how many years they would give him. Right now, Tyreek Hill gets paid $30 million a year for four years. Higgins would likely be able to demand something close to this.
Another challenge the Steelers may face is the cost to trade Higgins. The Bengals would likely demand a huge haul if they were willing to trade Higgins to the Steelers. This is especially the case because both of these teams play in the same division. So, Pittsburgh would have to determine what they are willing to give up for Higgins.
Tee Higgins’ Value
Higgins is clearly one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Is he worth trading for? Considering the Bengals placed their franchise tag on him, that answer should be yes.
So, what did Higgins do for the Bengals last season? He had 656 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in 12 games. If the Steelers do trade for him, they will certainly hope Higgins could meet or exceed those numbers.
Get More NFL Content
For more news and trends around the NFL, click here or follow me on Twitter @JohnGalletley.