Tee Higgins

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas "still is exploring the trade market" for a wide receiver, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Cimini reported Douglas "had some degree of interest" in Jerry Jeudy and Keenan Allen before they were dealt and cited the Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins and San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk as options still on the board.

Cimini cautioned that "there's no concrete evidence to suggest either one is available."

Higgins requested a trade from the Bengals, who nonetheless hold all of the cards since they applied the franchise tag to the 25-year-old. Faced with a similar situation with safety Jessie Bates III in 2022, Cincinnati held firm and kept him under contract before watching him walk as a free agent a year later.

An Aiyuk trade is plausible because he's signed for just one more year in San Francisco. The situation hasn't evolved to a point where his departure is a foregone conclusion, though. General manager John Lynch has shown a desire to ultimately sign the 26-year-old to a long-term deal.

Either Higgins or Aiyuk would be a great complement to Garrett Wilson in the passing game and help make up for the disastrous 2023 offseason. The total cost to acquire them could prove to be too steep for Douglas.

Beyond the draft compensation that would be sent to the 49ers or Bengals, Higgins or Aiyuk would presumably get a multiyear contract to accompany the trade to avoid them leaving after just one year.

That's a big investment to make, especially for a franchise that already gave up so much to land quarterback Aaron Rodgers and accelerate its timeline for Super Bowl contention.

Tee Higgins has spent his entire four-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, who utilized the franchise tag on the 25-year-old wide receiver last month. Either he'll stay in Cincinnati for the 2024 season, or he'll be traded.

If it's up to Higgins, his time with the Bengals would soon be coming to an end.

ESPN's Adam Schefter recently reported that Higgins has requested to be traded out of Cincinnati. The reason why he wants to be moved is because there haven't been any discussions between him and the team regarding a potential extension since March 2023, per the report.

Even though Higgins wants to be traded, it doesn't mean he will be dealt. And it appears the Bengals won't be willing to just give him away for a small return.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported during an appearance on Speak on FS1 that it would likely take a second-round draft pick (or maybe a third-rounder) for Cincinnati to part with Higgins. Because of that, a move doesn't seem too likely.

"I would anticipate that he plays on the tag," Schultz said. "I don't think he's going to be traded."

If Higgins isn't happy in his current situation, it could make sense for the Bengals to trade him. At the same time, their asking price seems fair, and they shouldn't budge any lower at this point.

Early in his career, Higgins showed a ton of potential. He recorded between 908 and 1,091 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. He also scored 19 total touchdowns during that span.

Last year, Higgins was limited to 12 games due to a hamstring injury. Still, he had 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns.

As long as Higgins can stay healthy, he has the potential of developing into a top-tier playmaker. The Bengals' offense can be stacked when it has him, quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase on the field together.

Perhaps Higgins and Cincinnati will work out a long-term deal, which appears to be a primary concern for him moving forward. If not, he'll have to play on the franchise tag to prove that he's worthy of a big contract (from either the Bengals or another team) after coming off the injury.

In the meantime, it could make sense for Cincinnati to continue to talk to other teams about a potential Higgins trade. But he's worth at least a second- or third-round draft pick, even if he is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season.

The Bengals shouldn't budge, especially because there will be teams that could get desperate to add an impact wide receiver as the offseason continues.

Tee Higgins and the Cincinnati Bengals are nearing a divorce following the wide receiver's request for a trade Monday, reported ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The request comes on the heels of mounting frustration from the player over the team's failure to negotiate a long-term deal and the subsequent franchise tag the Bengals slapped on him earlier this offseason.

Assuming Higgins gets his way, there is one team that should explore the possibility of acquiring him: the wide receiver-needy New England Patriots.

The Pats are in rebuild mode following the exit of future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick and the hiring of Jerrod Mayo as his successor. The organization will likely target a quarterback in May's NFL Draft but as it currently stands, will need to surround whichever young signal-caller it decides on with playmakers.

Schefter reported that the team notified Davante Parker of his impending release when the league year officially opens for business, and the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan reported JuJu Smith-Schuster is also on his way out of town.

That leaves the team with one legitimate receiver on the roster in Kendrick Bourne, who agreed to re-sign for three years, $33 million Monday.

Higgins would instantaneously improve the wide receiver room in New England, bringing an explosive and physical style of play to a team that has not had a player of his quality at the position since Julian Edelman.

He missed five games due to injury in 2023 and still managed to compile 656 yards and five touchdowns for a Bengals team that also employs Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd, and was without former Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, who played in only 10 games.

Those 656 yards are more than any receiver on the Patriots roster had a year ago, and only tight end Hunter Henry had more touchdowns than Higgins with six.

Before that, Higgins amassed two 1,000-yard seasons and barely missed another in his rookie season.

He has 24 touchdowns in four seasons and has shined on the grandest stage known to football, the Super Bowl, where he opened the second half against the Los Angeles Rams with a 75-yard touchdown.

Higgins has long looked the part of a No. 1 receiver in the league but the plethora of options in Cincinnati limited his production. That would not be the case in New England, where a young quarterback would likely fixate on him and give him the opportunities to be the playmaker he can be.

We saw with Mac Jones the effect of not having legitimate skill players in his short run with the Patriots. He was doomed from the start by the team's unwillingness to surround him with the weapons needed to grow and evolve.

The team can ensure that history does not repeat itself by going and making a deal for Higgins, then signing him to the long-term deal he wanted from the Bengals. With an estimated $70 million in cap space according to Spotrac, it is a move the team can afford and should execute as it attempts to climb out of the league basement for the first time in two decades.

The alternative is to draft a quarterback, let him roll with whatever receiver room the team can piece together, and hope for the best. At the same time, Higgins finds a new home with another organization and potentially shoves it in the Patriots' faces for years to come.

The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly had yet to receive any trade inquiries regarding wide receiver Tee Higgins prior to Monday.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, no team has called the Bengals to make a trade offer for Higgins in the wake of Cincinnati placing the franchise tag on him last month.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Higgins has requested a trade, noting that the star wideout is "disappointed" the Bengals have not had any negotiations with him regarding a long-term contract since March 2023.

Florio speculated that the lack of calls on Higgins may have had more to do with teams not thinking he was available than it did teams not having interest in him.

Given his age and production, it is a virtual guarantee that Higgins would be in line to land the biggest contract among wide receivers in free agency had the Bengals allowed him to hit the open market.

The Bengals have no obligation to trade him, though, and if they don't, Higgins' only recourse will be to decline to sign the franchise tender and sit out.

However, if the Bengals do not plan on signing Higgins to a long-term extension, it may behoove them to trade him and get a draft pick out of it.

After the Bengals used the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Joe Burrow in the 2020 NFL draft, they got him a major weapon with the first pick of the second round by taking Higgins.

Higgins, 25, has more than lived up to his draft status, registering 257 receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns over his first four NFL seasons.

As a rookie, Higgins fell just short of the 1,000-yard mark, recording 67 catches for 908 yards and six touchdowns. He followed that up with the two best seasons of his career in 2021 and 2022, finishing with 74 grabs for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns, and 74 receptions for 1,029 yards and seven scores, respectively.

Higgins was arguably the best No. 2 receiver in football behind Ja'Marr Chase in 2021 and 2022, but he took a significant step back last season due largely to injuries.

He missed five games in his own right and Burrow missed seven games, which pressed backup quarterback Jake Browning into action.

As a result, Higgins had the worst statistical season of his career with 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns.

While that could have potentially impacted his value in the eyes of other NFL teams, it is more likely that teams will give Higgins a pass due to injuries and the fact that he was without his quarterback for a large part of the 2023 campaign.

With veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd set to hit free agency when the legal tampering period opens Monday and free agency officially opens Wednesday, the Bengals do not have a suitable replacement for Higgins on their roster.

Because of that and their desire to be Super Bowl contenders in 2024, the Bengals may be hesitant to trade Higgins and may try to convince him to play at least one more season for them.

Tee Higgins reportedly does not want to play on the franchise tag.

The Cincinnati Bengals receiver requested a trade Monday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Higgins played his first four NFL seasons with the Bengals and is coming off an injury-plagued 2023 campaign that saw him set career lows in receptions (42), yards (656) and touchdowns.

The Bengals tagged Higgins in February, guaranteeing him $21.8 million for the 2024 season.

Whether Cincinnati is willing to entertain offers remains to be seen, but fans are already champing at the bit to see where he might land.

A Higgins trade seems unlikely at the moment. Not only would a team have to give up a high draft pick—likely a first- or second-round pick—to land Higgins, it would also have to pay him upwards of $25 million per season. Considering the 2024 draft class is considered loaded at receiver, it's fair to wonder whether most teams may be better off simply using a pick on a young wideout and saving cap space.

Higgins is a quality receiver with proven NFL success, but he's never topped 1,100 yards in a season. While that may be partially due to the presence of Ja'Marr Chase, it's worth noting the Bengals drafted Chase when they already had Higgins in place. If the Cincinnati front office had faith in Higgins being an elite WR1, that probably does not happen.

That won't stop the most receiver-thirsty teams from kicking the tires, but Higgins probably tops out as a lower-end WR1. If the Bengals have a receiver in the 2024 class they like, it would make sense for them to explore moving on and resetting the contract clock on their WR2 spot with Chase due a massive extension this or next offseason.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Bleacher Report NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided more context on the development:

The Bengals applied the franchise tag to Higgins in February to preclude him from reaching free agency. He'd collect $21.8 million guaranteed for 2024 if he signs the one-year tender.

A trade might have been the endgame that Cincinnati had in mind when it tagged the 25-year-old, though. Schefter's reporting on the absence of any progress on an extension reinforces that idea.

Granted, it might be premature to assume Higgins will be in a different uniform in 2024. The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. pointed to recent precedents for the Bengals:

There's nothing stopping Cincinnati from basically calling Higgins' bluff. He's likely going to show up by the regular season either way because he stands to lose too much by forfeiting an eight-figure salary and sitting out a full season.

But having his desired outcome out in the open could be the catalyst for meaningful trade negotiations between the Bengals and an interested suitor. It's abundantly clear now that he's willing to leave Cincinnati.

Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer noted the request comes less than two hours away from the start of the negotiating window between teams and free agents. Higgins and his representatives are probably hopeful he can start gauging his value around the NFL.

A trade will be costly. In addition to sending a valuable asset or two to the Bengals to facilitate the swap, Spotrac values Higgins at $18.6 million annually.

Depending on the final price, the gambit should be worth it for a player who has averaged 63.5 receiving yards per game with 24 touchdowns through four seasons.

Despite receiving the franchise tag this offseason, Tee Higgins might not be long for Cincinnati.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, "A lot of people [at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis] seemed to think the reason the Bengals franchised Higgins as early as they did was so they could trade him. With a Ja'Marr Chase extension likely coming this offseason or next, Cincinnati might not be able to keep the band together around Joe Burrow much longer."

One factor could affect the proceedings is the strong draft class of wideouts this offseason. The Bengals would assuredly love to get a first-round pick for Higgins, but teams may be hesitant to go that high given the talented options available.

When healthy, the 25-year-old is a proven playmaker, catching 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in his four seasons. The issue for Cincinnati is that Higgins likely would fetch WR1 money in free agency but is a second option for the team behind Chase.

That means the Bengals will have to eventually decide how much of the salary cap they want to allocate on wide receivers, especially with so much of it already going to Burrow on his second contract.

Trading Higgins now instead of losing him for nothing in free agency would be preferable, though it would obviously weaken the team in the short term. If nothing else, the franchise tag bought them more time to either negotiate a team-friendly extension or gauge his trade market.