Tee Higgins has requested a trade away from the Cincinnati Bengals.
It is very possible that Tee Higgins will be wearing new colors when the 2024 season begins. The only question now is where and at what cost?
The team, outside of the Cincinnati Bengals, that would make the most sense for Higgins would be the Tennessee Titans.
Why Higgins would fit so well as a Titan
In regards to the Titans’ receiving corp in the 2023 season, it was underwhelming to say the least. It consisted of Deandre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Kyle Phillips, Chris Moore, Colton Dowell and others. Last season, the highest graded receiver for the Titans last season was Deandre Hopkins who had 28% of the targets.
In the 2023 season, the Titans’ receiving stats were 304 catches for 3,512 yards and 14 touchdowns, ranking them the 30th best passing game in the NFL. Know who had the best receiving/passing game in 2023?
The Cincinnati Bengals.
Higgins is used to a great passing game especially being surrounded by other great receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd while also having one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Joe Burrow. Though the Titans’ receivers are inexperienced, except Hopkins, adding Higgins would bring great leadership and skill to the receiving corps. With Hopkins coming off a 1,057 yard and 7 touchdown season and receiver Treylon Burks looking to bounce back to razorback form, adding Higgins would bring a lot of comfort and excitability to young quarterback Will Levis.
Higgins’ Tennessee History
Wide receiver Tee Higgins is from Oak Ridge, Tennessee which is about three hours outside of Nashville. He went to Oak Ridge High School where he played football and basketball. In his senior season, he had 68 receptions for 1,044 yards and 18 touchdowns. In back to back years, 2015 and 2016, he was named Tennessee’s “Mr. Football,” which is the highest honor among high school football players in the state of Tennessee.
One of the rewards that these honorees receive is getting to go to the Titans facilities where they get a jersey with their name on it. Higgins received two of them.
Higgins grew up a Tennessee Volunteers fan and was recruited by the Volunteers just like several NFL players such as Trevor Lawrence, Amari Rodgers, and Travis Etienne before they all eventually decided to attend Clemson, the same university where Titans’ receiver Deandre Hopkins played as well.
Recently, Higgins has been sharing a lot of Tennessee memories on social media, which has caused fans to think that he wants to come back home to Tennessee. Higgins even said himself recently that going home to Tennessee would be ideal. “It would be good,” Higgins said about joining up with the Titans. “Going back home to family and then being able to play for a coach that I’ve already been under. It would be ideal.”
It seems like a match made in heaven but what would the Titans be able to give up in order to get Higgins to Nashville?
Trade scenarios for Titans to acquire Higgins
The Titans are in pretty good shape to have a lot to offer to the Bengals to acquire Higgins but it is possible the Bengals are going to be stingy in terms of giving him away.
In terms of draft capital, Tennessee has several picks in the 2024 NFL draft. They have picks 7, 38, 105, 145, 181, 221, 227, and 242. However, the ones that would matter most in trading for Higgins are most likely picks 7 and 38.
There are reports circulating that say the Titans are already constructing plans for the seventh pick in the first round. These reports say that they’re leaning towards Joe Alt, the guard from Notre Dame or Rome Odunze, the wide receiver from the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship runner-ups, the Washington Huskies. So if they’d be willing to give up that pick is still unknown but it seems likely that they’d be willing to listen to trade deals for their 38th pick which they could use to acquire Higgins from the Bengals.
So it is possible this scenario plays out and Higgins returns home to Tennessee to help out a struggling receiving corps. All options are still on the table.