Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has reaffirmed his desire to be traded ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, according to ESPN. Higgins first made it known he was requesting a trade in March as his representation continues to push for a long-term contact extension.
Higgins had recently told local media that he planned to play for the AFC North contender this season.
“We’ll see. I plan on (playing for the Bengals in 2024),” Higgins said via Fox19. “I’ve developed a love for Cincy that I didn’t know I would love. I’m looking forward to it.”
Higgins’ desire to stay in Cincinnati is not new; he just wants the team to commit to him for the long term. He is currently scheduled to play the 2024 season under the franchise tag which will earn him $21.816 million this season. The Bengals have not ruled out re-signing Higgins, but the two sides have reportedly not discussed a new deal since last offseason, leading Higgins to request a trade earlier this offseason, leading to incessant speculation about his future with the team. .
Potential landing spots
If New York doesn’t take a wide receiver in the first round, then it’s not hard to imagine the Jets attempting to add Higgins as they push all their chips into the middle of the table. The roster currently includes Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams, who missed most of the 2023 season due to injury, as the primary openings for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
New England has looked everywhere for toys to give its presumed future rookie quarterback. The Patriots were contenders for Calvin Ridley before the Titans held the winning ticket in this sweepstakes. The franchise has lacked a consistent playmaker at the position for several years despite efforts in free agency.
Jacksonville has two glaring needs at cornerback and wide receiver. The Jaguars have been linked to Brandon Aiyuk and other veterans since Ridley signed with Tennessee. Adding Higgins would allow the franchise to focus its attention with the No. 17 pick on other resources or the cornerback position. It doesn’t hurt that Trevor Lawrence is his quarterback at Clemson.
Los Angeles has a lot of needs. The Chargers already lost Mike Williams and Keenan Allen from last year’s team, so it’s important to give Justin Herbert another weapon. This addition would allow them to use their first-round pick to fill a different need.
New Orleans is committed to using its first-round pick at offensive tackle. The Saints still need a wide receiver. Acquiring Higgins would be a fun partnership with Chris Olave. The only question is whether or not the Saints can work their accounting magic. Can they fit it into this season’s budget?
With Carolina at the top of the second round, most analysts peg the Panthers with the best wide receivers available; a group expected to include Florida State’s Keon Coleman, Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Texas’ Xavier Worthy, South Carolina’s Xavier Legette and others. If they intend to use the pick on the position anyway, they might as well use it on a known commodity like Higgins.
Arizona is likely out of the Higgins lottery if the franchise uses its first-round pick at wide receiver as planned. The cardinals have a war chest of conscription funds. At some point, they have to turn those picks into players and there’s no better way to do that than acquiring stars who can help them reach the salary cap threshold.