Zach Ertz might as well be making Tee Higgins a pitch to sign with Commanders

The Washington Commanders clinched a playoff berth on Sunday night with an overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. In doing so, Washington and Jayden Daniels announced their arrival on the game's primetime stage. Daniels has been a tremendous addition to a Washington team which desperately needed a face of the franchise. They have found one and then some.

Daniels is the likely frontrunner to win NFL Rookie of the Year, though Bo Nix and Broncos fans might have something to say about that. It's been a season full of ups and downs for Washington, which lost to the Dallas Cowboys before Thanksgiving but haven't done so since, reeling off four straight victories against the Titans, Saints, Eagles and Falcons.

Much of that short memory comes from head coach Dan Quinn, who led the Falcons to the Super Bowl in a previous coaching life. Quinn had been the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator and the 'Plan B' for Washington once Ben Johnson left them at the altar. As it turns out, that may have been a blessing in disguise, as Quinn has established a culture early on with the Commanders that his players respect. Don't believe me? Just ask Zach Ertz.

Zach Ertz sells Washington Commanders culture to Tee Higgins, free agents

Ertz signed a one-year deal with Washington this past offseason, and by no means is a veteran presence who's expected to say such things about any coaching regime. No, Ertz has been around a number of teams, including bad head coaches. He knows enough about Quinn and Daniels to understand the Commanders are set for awhile, with or without him. That should inspire soon-to-be free agents like Tee Higgins.

Higgins has been tremendous all season long with the Cincinnati Bengals in a contract year. While he'll never surpass Ja'Marr Chase on the Bengals depth chart, he's every bit a WR1. The Commanders would be interested in pairing Higgins with Terry McLaurin, and should have the cap space to do so, thus providing Daniels with one of the best receiving corps in the NFL.

"There's little to no chance [Tee] Higgins is in Cincinnati beyond 2024. People I've talked to feel pretty strongly about that, barring a major surprise. A second franchise tag would cost the Bengals around $26.2 million on a one-year rental. Higgins wanted out of Cincinnati last offseason, and the Bengals will likely allocate resources for a Chase contract. Higgins will have a strong market because of the number of receiver-needy teams and Higgins' WR1 traits," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote in mid-November.

The Bengals stance hasn't changed much, despite pleas from Joe Burrow and Chase. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Higgins isn't going to take a pay cut, and he proved again on Saturday why he's set to receive all that money. A team and culture like Washington would really benefit from his presence on the outside.