The Kansas City Chiefs are back-to-back Super Bowl Champions, but they certainly were not without their flaws. The Chiefs were one of the worst teams in the NFL in scoring in the 4th quarter and also led the league in dropped passes.
Everyone knows the problem is not with Patrick Mahomes or tight-end Travis Kelce. The offensive line also played pretty well, with an exception to giving up too many defensive pressures on the edges. The issue was obvious: wide receivers.
Kansas City Chiefs Need a Few Good Wide Receivers
Last year, during the regular season, Patrick Mahomes had two reliable targets on the Kansas City Chiefs: Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. Together, the two players had 1,872 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. The rest of the team combined for only 2,511 yards and 16 touchdowns, with seven of those touchdowns coming from running backs with touchdown receptions.
Don’t get me wrong—Travis Kelce is worth more than just about any receiver in the league, and Rashee Rice is a solid option as well, but imagine if the Chiefs had another receiver on the other side of the field who was just as much of a threat.
Just give the Chiefs their third Lombardi trophy in a row.
Yet, according to at least one source, that next receiver may be Tee Higgins, one of the best receivers in the entire league.
Would the Bengals Give up Tee Higgins?
If the Bengals give up their star receiver in a trade, one would think it would be to a team who isn’t in direct competition to them in winning the AFC. Instead, they would likely want to go with an NFC or bottom-dwelling AFC team that isn’t going to make them look stupid after just one season.
But there is a scenario where the Bengals would at least listen. The Chiefs are getting a bit older. Patrick Mahomes was the 8th oldest starting QB this past season. He will be 29 years old next year, which by all accounts doesn’t make him old, but it does make him only a few seasons away from being considered old (only four starters were 32 or older). Travis Kelce probably only has a handful of years left, and Andy Reid could retire at any moment.
In other words, the Bengals may be willing to wait a few years and prepare for their future, even if it means immediate success for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs aren’t looking for much young experience, per se. They know their dynasty is now, and they want to continue it. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Chiefs give up a lot of draft picks and decent players to get a player like Tee Higgins.
In return, the Bengals would accept the Chiefs dominating for a few years but set themselves up with picks to take over once the Chiefs start crumbling.
Conclusion
It’s impossible to predict what will happen with free agents and trades confidently. That’s why this time of year is so attractive for NFL fans. However, if this deal makes sense, the answer is a resounding yes, if under the right terms.