Amidst growing rumors that have him playing for a different AFC North team next season, a key member of the Cincinnati Bengals attack is planning to stay put.
Tee Higgins, the Cincinnati Bengals No. 2 receiver, reportedly has his share of admirers in the Pittsburgh Steelers front office. While intra-division trades are rare in the NFL, they do occasionally happen. Swelling rumors have Higgins swapping orange and black for black and gold this offseason.
Higgins requested a trade in March after the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him in March. Rather than a long-term deal, the four-year veteran will play under a fully-guaranteed $21.816 million one-year deal this coming season unless something can be worked out before July 15.
Playing under the franchise tag would make Higgins an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season.
Higgins Forms Half of Cincinnati Bengals Superb Receiving Tandem
Higgins was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 33rd pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. It was the same draft that the team took quarterback Joe Burrow with the top overall pick.
Both players were immediately injected into the team’s offense, and it worked well. Higgins logged 908 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 67 receptions in his rookie year.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals paired Higgins with superstar receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Chase was also thrown immediately into the offense with Burrow and Higgins with electric results.
The team went from 4-11-1 in 2021 to winning the AFC championship — and nearly the Super Bowl — in 2022.
Higgins, often overlooked in the high-potency Cincinnati Bengals offense, has amassed 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in his four pro seasons.
Cincinnati Bengals Have a Decision to Make
Alas, the NFL salary cap makes it difficult for a team to keep all of its stars as careers — and salary demands — advance.
Burrow is currently the highest-paid player in the NFL, and Chase is in line for a big raise over his soon-to-expire rookie deal. Higgins may end up the odd man out with the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft deep in receiving talent.
For his part, Higgins has dialed back his “trade me” rhetoric and now plans on playing for the Cincinnati Bengals this coming season. He told WLWT-TV in Cincinnati:
“I do anticipate [playing for the Bengals in 2024]. Cinci has grown on me. I [got] love for Cinci that I didn’t think I would, but looking forward to it.”
However, the Cincinnati Bengals, faced with Higgins’ impending free agency a year from now, may look to get what they can for him and move ahead with a new receiver.
For More Great Sports Content
Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.