Cincinnati Bengals stud wide receiver Tee Higgins has requested a trade
On Monday, just before the legal tampering period begins in NFL free agency, stud wide receiver Tee Higgins requested a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals had applied the franchise tag to Higgins, but were not in talks with Higgins and his agency on a contract extension. And now, the stud WR seems to want out of Cincy.
For the Bengals, this is a tough situation. They have already paid Joe Burrow. Ja'Marr Chase is obviously the better WR and should be given a contract extension. To make matters worse, their third wide receiver, Tyler Boyd, is a free agent. With this trade request, you have to wonder if the Bengals will now try to retain Boyd and send Higgins to a different team.
Bengals franchise WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, per sources. Higgins loves Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long term, but is disappointed that the team has not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since March 2023. He’s ready to move on to a new… pic.twitter.com/T0qy7uMu8n
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024
It also might end up being the best process financially to pay a stud WR1 and reliable WR3 instead of handing Tee Higgins a contract extension. And with the plethora of teams needing help at WR, the Bengals should make a deal and send one of their stud pass-catcher to a different team. The draft capital could help the Bengals reset their situation at WR2 or even add to their offensive line.
Furthermore, Michael Pittman Jr and the Indianapolis Colts just agreed to a huge contract extension, and with Higgins being the better player, he could realistically ask for more:
BREAKING: The #Colts and star WR Michael Pittman Jr. have agreed to a 3-year deal worth up to $71.5M with $46M guaranteed, sources tell @BleacherReport.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 11, 2024
One of the NFL’s top young wideouts is secure long-term in Indy. pic.twitter.com/qkjpkTNcH4
That number is approaching $25 million per season for Michael Pittman Jr, who isn't close to the WR that Tee Higgins is. If you're Tee Higgins, you have to be overjoyed with this deal, as he and his agency could probably start their asking price at $25 million per season. For the Bengals and Tee Higgins, it seems like the two sides are in need of a fresh start.
Higgins is a true WR1 and should be sent to a team where he can showcase that.