Three months have passed Cincinnati Bengals I told wide receiver Tee Higgins. Put the franchise tag on himsince then, Higgins requested a trade. in front Reluctantly admitting that fate is beyond one’s control And the most likely scenario is that he plays under the tag.
With several weeks of team activities currently underway, Higgins has not yet participated, refusing to sign his contract for a guaranteed salary of $21.816 million.
The Bengals’ mandatory minicamp begins June 11, and it’s likely Higgins will remain on strike. The more time that passes, the more likely it is that the Bengals’ brain trust, led by owner Mike Brown, director of player personnel Duke Tobin and executive vice president Katie Blackburn, could become interested in sending Higgins to another team after a phone call or two.
Four teams makes the most sense, with the cap space to fit around $22 million in guarantees and room to add an impact receiver to their offense.
Los Angeles Chargers (cap space: $26,405,000)
of Chargers They had a revitalized offseason with coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz bringing in a major roster shake-up. Traded wide receiver Keenan Allen and Free Mike WilliamsThey still have holes at receiver to fill and quarterback Justin Herbert needs weapons, and Higgins could be the answer.
The move could come as a shock to first-year GM Hortis, who was previously with Baltimore and has watched Higgins twice per season for the past four years, and if he doesn’t like watching Higgins play against him (414 yards and four TDs in seven games), he might be tempted to lure Higgins to the Chargers.
Detroit Lions ($31 million cap space)
The Lions are no longer underdogs, and if they want to stay that way, adding Higgins to their attacking line could be part of another shot at glory.
The Lions already have a strong receiver corps led by wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, breakout prospect Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and tight end Sam LaPorta. The Lions would love to use Williams in Year 3, but acquiring a sure-fire contender like Higgins outweighs Williams’ potential. Higgins will take Williams’ target share, but his presence frees up Williams and gives quarterback Jared Goff plenty of options to get the ball downfield.
“It’s going to be twice as hard to get back to this level next year,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said after the NFC Championship Game loss. Adding Higgins to the mix will make it easier.
Washington Commanders ($43.4 million cap space)
Washington’s new management is serious about building a competitive football team. Proving that with actions, not words, would satisfy the fan base. The easy answer would be to give No. 2 overall pick quarterback Jayden Daniels the tools to succeed.
The Commanders have the second-most cap space of any team, and hopefully have the opportunity to acquire a rookie quarterback to help build their team. It’s in the Commanders’ best interest to move now, and acquiring Higgins would improve their offense.
In 2023, the Commanders ranked 24th in scoring offense and third down conversions. Higgins contributes in both areas and is a consistent chain mover and scoring threat. Pairing him with wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson to replace Curtis Samuel would be a major upgrade to the Commanders’ receiving unit.
New England Patriots ($46.6 million cap space)
Like the Commanders, the Patriots drafted quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick, opening the door for a chance to build a team for the present and future.
The offense needs to produce quickly to give Meyer any chance to succeed, and with the cash flow now freed up after ditching a big-money contract, Meyer and head coach Jerrod Meyer can take the lead and start writing new checks to usher in a new era.
The Patriots’ wide receiver corps is thin. Higgins finished with a career-low 656 yards receiving last season. No Patriot caught a pass within 100 yards of him last season. If his target share improves, Higgins could reach 1,000 yards again and become a key piece of a championship-contending offense in the near future.
The most likely option for the Bengals and their Super Bowl aspirations, especially after the big contracts given to Jaylen Waddle and Nico Collins in late May and every other player who was franchise tagged this offseason has signed huge contract extensions, is to keep Higgins on the $21.8 million franchise tag and perhaps a second franchise tag above $26 million.
