3 best Tee Higgins trade suitors after Bengals lose a game they couldn’t afford

The Cincinnati Bengals are not in a good position. Their roster’s better than they’re playing and they're closer to being out of the playoffs than they are being in it after their disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Week 8.

Tee Higgins was out with a quadricep injury he suffered on Friday during practice, but he wasn’t quite the reason the Bengals lost. In fact, his absence might have proven they can be fine without him even if they can regain some traction in the playoff conversation. 

Mike Gesicki was the first half target on fire as Joe Burrow hit him on several plays, including an improvised one that extended the drive. If the Bengals utilize him more in Higgins’ absence he could be that secondary option, along with Jermaine Burton. 

Not that the Bengals need anything, specifically, to give them better playoff odds, but they could get a return worth entertaining, especially as wide receivers become a hot commodity with the NFL Trade Deadline approaching. 

Who knows, they could even find another second round through fourth round selection to turn into a No. 2 option to Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals have to pay Chase and Higgins this season. Chase seems like the better option. So the Bengals need to flip Higgins before Nov. 5 to keep from letting him walk free. 

Here’s who should be calling the Bengals after their latest loss to get a deal done for Higgins. 

3. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys need to be the first call to Cincinnati. I don’t care how stingy Jerry Jones is being and I don’t care how quiet they’ve been to this point. They need to come to the realization who they have isn’t enough. And adding Higgins could help solve the offense’s major problem. 

Dak Prescott is having yet another one of his turnover spells. This season, it’s costing Dallas winnable games. And that comes down to not having enough weapons. We’ve seen the struggles Patrick Mahomes has gone through and that’s largely due to not having the weapons either. 

The Chiefs made a move for DeAndre Hopkins. That should have been an indicator to the Cowboys they need to get aggressive ahead of the trade deadline. They’ve let way too many players slip away that could have impacted this offense. Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper. If Higgins is added to that list, the Cowboys will only have themselves to blame for their 2024 woes. 

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This goes without saying. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need wide receiver help imminently. Baker Mayfield lost his top two targets in the same game. And if they plan on fighting for a playoff spot — Kirk Cousins torched the Bucs and all but sealed a division title in the process — they need to add a high-caliber player now. 

Higgins would be an ideal selection because he can be the No. 1 option and can make an instant impact. They have similar offenses so it wouldn’t be a drastic change bringing him on. He could come in and be a security blanket for Mayfield and this offense. At worst, he doesn’t elevate the offense like you expect. At best, he fills in perfectly for Chris Godwin and takes the pressure off Mike Evans when he returns. 

This is something the Buccaneers have to consider and I don’t think the Bengals will ask teams to overpay. All signs are pointing toward Cincinnati not bringing Higgins back, so they may look to get something in return.

1. Denver Broncos

Denver has actually looked a lot better than expected this season. Adding a wide receiver like Tee Higgins could give rookie quarterback Bo Nix a comfortable weapon to go to. Cortland Sutton has been a great No. 21 option, but outside of him, the Broncos don’t have a sure got-to option in the pass game outside of that. 

In five games, Higgins has 30 yards less than Sutton, the Broncos leading receiver. Adding him could bolster an offense that’s searching for an identity. I’m not quite sure how much the Broncos would have to give up and I’m not sure if they would feel comfortable giving up any players or a lot of draft capital to make it happen. They’re still cap-locked with dead cap space from releasing Russell Wilson. 

It would be tricky to navigate, but the Broncos could make the move and it would certainly elevate their offense. If Nix struggles with Higgins and Sutton out wide, it would also give them clarity that Nix might not be the answer at quarterback like they hoped.