While the NFL free agent market doesn't appear as star-studded this season compared to years past, one potential game-changing wide receiver could be available. After failing to reach an agreement on a long-term deal with the Cincinnati Bengals last season, Tee Higgins is staring at the prospect of a second-straight franchise tag as the two sides try to resolve the situation.
Even though the Bengals do have over $60 million in salary cap room to work with (totals via Over The Cap), that money could disappear fast since the team also needs to figure out contract extensions for Ja'Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson. Quarterback Joe Burrow has gone on record to voice his desire for Higgins to stay and has offered to restructure his contract to help keep the band together, but it remains to be seen how Cincinnati will make the money work.
The franchise tag is a useful tool for Cincinnati here as it prevents Higgins from truly testing the open market since teams won't want to cough up two first-round draft picks for a wide receiver, even if they have star potential like Higgins. Let's look at some potential landing spots for Higgins.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
One potential trade partner for Higgins could be the Los Angeles Chargers, who desperately need higher-quality weapons for Justin Herbert. While rookie receiver Ladd McConkey had a strong year, the rest of Los Angeles' receiving corps (headlined by Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer) was far from inspiring.
Higgins would be a bona fide No. 1 receiver in Los Angeles, giving Herbert a go-to guy to help elevate his game right now. With Jim Harbaugh quickly getting the Chargers out of a mess and into the playoffs for year one, the team may not have the will to draft and develop a receiver when they can land a ready-made star.
Draft pick compensation remains the question for a potential trade since Los Angeles' first-round pick is sitting at 22, which seems like a reasonable starting point for a package. The Bengals would likely want that first-round pick immediately while the Chargers may prefer to lead with a second-rounder this season and include next year's first-round pick, which they could hope falls lower with Higgins helping them advance in the postseason.
4. Las Vegas Raiders
The arrival of new head coach Pete Carroll has led to an aggressive mindset in Las Vegas, which is trying to change its culture and win immediately. With over $96 million in cap space, the Raiders are aggressively pursuing Matthew Stafford to give them a quarterback upgrade, but the weaponry surrounding him leaves a lot to be desired.
Tight end Brock Bowers is a strong target while Jakobi Meyers is a good No. 2 receiver, but the Raiders' pass-catching group could really use a bona fide No. 1 pick. Higgins would slot right in as the go-to guy for Stafford (assuming the Rams and Raiders complete a trade), giving Las Vegas a chance to compete in the rugged AFC West.
Trade compensation would again be an issue here as the Raiders will have to part with draft capital for Stafford and won't want to unload the No. 6 pick for Higgins. While Las Vegas has the money to satisfy Higgins' contract demands, it is tough to put them higher than this until the Stafford situation is resolved.
3. Washington Commanders
Having a top young quarterback on a rookie contract is a prime time for teams to invest in star players to surround him. Washington fits this bill after Jayden Daniels' transcendent rookie season ended in the NFC Championship Game and they have over $80 million in cap space to upgrade their roster.
While there are plenty of pending free agents and defensive needs that could make a trade for Myles Garrett an attractive option, Higgins would be a strong secondary option, assuming a Garrett trade doesn't come through. Pairing Higgins with Terry McLaurin would give Daniels two elite pass catchers to work with, giving the Commanders' offense the chance to become one of the NFL's best units overnight.
If the Bengals decide to move Higgins, sending him to Washington would be an ideal destination since he would be out of the AFC and can't get in their way of a potential playoff spot. The Commanders' first-round pick is in the back of the first round at No. 29 so Washington would likely be fine parting with it as the top asset in a package to land Higgins.
2. New England Patriots
The top non-Cincinnati destination for Higgins is New England, which has the most cap space in the league (over $127 million) and a potential franchise quarterback on a rookie deal with Drake Maye. The Patriots' roster is pretty bare, so they have a lot of holes to address, but $127 million is a ton of money that would allow them to hand Higgins a lavish extension while still adding quality players all over the field.
Mike Vrabel is inheriting a roster that has arguably the worst skill position group in the league, making more weapons for Maye a priority in order to accelerate his development. Adding a guy like Higgins would allow New England to give Maye a No. 1 receiver who commands the respect of defenses and is capable of putting up big numbers to help move the offense down the field.
While the No. 4 pick is too rich a price to pay for Higgins, New England's second-rounder is a solid value at No. 38 and they have an extra third-round pick to play with from their deal to send Matthew Judon to Atlanta. Including a second, third and 2026 second that can become a first-rounder if certain conditions are met would be a strong trade offer for Cincinnati to consider.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
While all the talk of potential Higgins trades is nice, the smartest play for the Bengals is to simply find a way to pay Higgins and keep the terrific trio of Burrow, Chase and Higgins together. The fact that Burrow has publicly indicated his desire to keep Higgins should weigh strongly on the minds of Cincinnati's front office, which doesn't want to risk another Carson Palmer situation by frustrating Burrow to the point that he wants out.
There is no comparable option to replace Higgins on the open market, so the best option to fill his spot would be to draft a rookie and hope that Burrow can turn him into the next Higgins. That plan is very risky since the wide receiver class is not as strong as last year's group was and developing a rookie takes valuable time that the win-now Bengals don't have.
The New Orleans Saints have shown that you can kick the salary cap can as far down the road as you want if you are creative enough with things like void years and bonus structure. Going all-in on the current offensive core gives Cincinnati its best chance to win a Super Bowl so finding a way to get deals done with Higgins and Chase allows the Bengals to keep their championship window open while Burrow is playing at an MVP level.