Tee Higgins has reportedly not drawn interest from any NFL teams this offseason prior to his trade request Monday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Focus. The Bengals chose to franchise tag Higgins this offseason as opposed to giving him a long term contract, which Higgins has been openly displeased about.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bengals and Higgins have not had serious contract talks for a year now. If they bengals hadn’t opted to tag the 25-year-old receiver, he certainly would’ve drawn attention from the rest of the league, most likely becoming the highest paid receiver in free agency, due to the lack of star talent in the group.
So… Why Aren’t the Bengals Getting Calls?
Mike Florio speculates that the main reason the Bengals did not receive any calls was due to the belief that Higgins just wouldn’t be available. Higgins has been a huge part of Cincinnati’s offense since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft. There was strong belief that the two sides would be able to lock down a deal because of his value to the team, even after the franchise tag.
Another theory comes with Higgins having his worst statistical season of his career, which may have teams questioning if he can be a number one receiver, especially if he is going to ask for a number one-type contract. Higgins missed five games in 2023, tallying only 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns.
While he has been successful, Higgins has also never had the opportunity to be a number one receiver in the league yet, having spent the past three seasons behind Ja’Marr Chase. Chase has quickly become one of the best receivers in the league, overshadowing Higgins.
Playing for a pass-heavy offense led by perennial MVP candidate Joe Burrow can also make Higgins’ stats seem a little bloated, potentially scaring trade partners away if they feel like they don’t have the talent to support him.
Why the Bengals Should Consider Locking Higgins Down
Yes, Higgins requested a trade. No, that does not mean that they have to trade him. Higgins’ frustrations should not stop the Bengals from trying to get a deal done with the disgruntled receiver. As one of the best number two receivers, the Bengals would be hard pressed to find anybody that could replicate the production that Higgins brings to the table.
Once free agency opens up officially on Wednesday, the Bengals are set to lose long-time receiver and fan-favorite, Tyler Boyd. If the Bengals were to lose Boyd and Higgins, they would be at a large deficit at the receiver position, leaving Chase alone in a room full of players that haven’t seen significant playing time, such as Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iosivas. Joe Burrow will be coming off a season ending injury behind an offensive line that does not appear to be getting any better after being one of the worst in the league for the past few seasons, he will need all the help in the receiver group he can get.
Higgins could be getting a projected $25 million a year based on his production and the Bengals are in one of the best situations in the league in terms of cap space, entering this offseason with just over $50 million open on their books. There are few teams that would be willing to pay that kind of money to a player like Higgins, but the Bengals know what type of player he can be and have the money to pay that type of player, a perfect storm.
There will most definitely be more interest in Higgins now that his trade request has been made public and as the draft gets closer, it is just a matter of if he will get traded.