The market for top-notch wide receivers has been established NFL, and now the Cincinnati Bengals just need to decide whether to take advantage of the situation or stay where they are.
The Buffalo Bills sent NFL All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Houston Texanson April 3 in return for a 2025 second-round pick.
The Bengals have put the franchise tagon fifth-year Tee Higgins for the 2024 season, which would pay him around $22 million. Higgins was hoping for a long-term agreement with the team and requested a trade.
“If the Bills got a second-round pick for a 30-year-old wide receiver, the Bengals probably think Higgins is worth at least a first-round pick,” stated The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway. “Higgins is only 25 years old and has achieved two 1,000-yard seasons.”
Tee Higgins is One of NFL’s Best Young Wide Receivers
Higgins dealt with injuries in 2023 and finished the season with career lows of 42 catches for 656 yardsand 5 touchdowns in 12 games.
It ended a streak of two consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards for Higgins, whom the Bengals picked in the first selection of the second round in the 2020 NFL draftfrom Clemson, where he aided in leading the Tigers to a CFP national championship in 2018.
Higgins excelled in 2021, helping lead the Bengals to an AFC championship. He tallied 74 catches for a career-high 1,091 receiving yards in the regular season and performed superbly in the playoffs with 18 catches for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In a 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, Higgins had 4 catches for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Bengals Can’t Afford to Keep All of Young Superstars
The Bengals are beginning to suffer from their own success after drafting two of the game’s top wide receivers with Higgins in 2020 and three-time Pro Bowler and NFL All-Pro Ja’Marr Chase in 2021.
Chase has been vocal about wanting to be one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL and refusing to sign until Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson sets the market, although Chase’s deal will likely be in the range of the four-year, $120 million contract extension with $72 million in guaranteed money signed by Tyreek Hill in 2022.
“I don’t know anything about what’s going to happen yet until Jefferson (signs),” Chase told ESPN in December 2023. “I need to see more numbers from him. Tyreek Hill got us there. But he’s going to get me there, too.”
Add in the record-breaking, five-year, $275 million contract signed by quarterback Joe Burrow before the 2023 season … and the Bengals are beginning to feel the economic pinch.
The Bengals anticipate Higgins to play this year and have up to now rejected any trade requests.
“Cincinnati’s front office and coaching staff believe Higgins gives them the best chance to make another Super Bowl run in the upcoming season,” wrote Conway.
