Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins formally requested a trade hours before NFL free agency opened on Monday. With very few playmaking receivers on the open market, one of the highest-paid NFL players in 2024 had seemingly picked the perfect time to maximize interest in his services.
Higgins, age 25, underperformed last season. He only played in 12 games and finished with career-lows in touchdowns (five) and receiving yards per game (54.7). However, before being franchise-tagged by Cincinnati, he was poised to be the most coveted wide receiver in NFL free agency.
- Tee Higgins stats 2023: 42 receptions, 656 receiving yards, 15.6 yards per reception
Related: Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins demands trade
After tagging Higgins, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor made it clear he envisioned the former second-round pick being an integral part of the offense in 2024. With a healthy Joe Burrow, Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase were expected to replicate the production they produced in 2022.
However, when the Bengals reportedly didn’t engage in negotiations on a long-term contract after being tagged, Higgins requested a trade. He recognized a free-agent market headlined by Calvin Ridley as an opportunity to find a team with cap space in need of a No. 1 receiver. As of now, though, the plan doesn’t seem to be working out.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, no team has called the Bengals’ front office about the cost of acquiring Higgins or even expressed exploratory interest in him. In fact, per Florio, Cincinnati hasn’t received a single call on Higgins since it placed the franchise tag on him.
- Tee Higgins contract: $21.816 million salary in 2024
Related: Tee Higgins trade cost revealed by NFL insider
While there isn’t high-end talent at wide receiver in free agency, the same can’t be said for the 2024 NFL Draft class. top prospects Marvin Harrison Jr, Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers are all viewed as consensus top-10 talent who can be a No. 1 receiver for a decade-plus. Beyond them, this is a deep class with starting-caliber wide receivers on Day 2 of the NFL Draft and some No. 2-caliber receivers in the latter half of the first round.
Any team acquiring Higgins, likely at the cost of a premium draft pick, would also have to sign him to a contract extension worth at least $22 million annually. Given those two factors, it’s very possible Higgins is on the trade market for a while.
