The Case Against the Bengals Trading Tee Higgins, According to NFL Executives
Tee Higgins is the last man standing on Wide Receiver Carousel
Wide Receivers are having a moment.
Over the span of the last 40 days, Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, and Tyreek Hill have all spent time — however brief, as the highest-paid receiver in the NFL by at least one metric; total contract value, most guaranteed money, largest annual average.
This offseason, for receivers, has really been the inverse of the Great Cratering of The Running Back Market, circa 2023.
Along with those mega-deals being signed, the Eagles also signed DeVonta Smith to a $75 million contract extension, and the Houston Texans acquired Stefon Diggs in a blockbuster deal with the Buffalo Bills.
Yet, there is still one big fish still available on the open market, who has been the subject of rampant speculation throughout the offseason, and who even requested a trade leading up to the NFL Draft.
For teams looking to round out their receiving corps or add a potentially electrifying weapon to their quarterback’s supporting cast, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins may be the best currently available at the position.
Higgins, whom the Bengals used the franchise tag on this offseason, is set to count $20.4 million against the cap in 2024, and is seeking a long-term contract extension after catching 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns
One prominent agent familiar with the receiver market tells me he believes Higgins’ market value is now upwards of $27-28 million per season, given the massive contracts that have been handed out to receivers in recent weeks.
“Tee is a fairly universal fit as an outside wide receiver,” an AFC East Front Office Executive tells me. “Runs a full route tree, has ideal size, great ball skills.”
Not everyone inside the NFL, though, believes Higgins is worth paying a premium for in a trade.
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