With the NFL trade deadline fast approaching, the rumor mill is heating up as teams start to position themselves as buyers or sellers. For the 3-4 Cincinnati Bengals, this decision isn’t as clear-cut. One key factor adding complexity is the situation with wide receiver Tee Higgins, which could force the team’s hand.
After two off-seasons without securing a long-term deal, the Bengals placed a franchise tag on the 25-year-old wideout. In response, Higgins requested a trade. Now, with the deadline nearing, the Bengals may have to consider parting ways with their second-leading receiver, despite remaining in the playoff hunt.
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“Teams have shown interest in Higgins, but with Cincinnati still in contention, trading him is questionable,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Fellow ESPN insider Ben Baby offers a different perspective, stating, “Cincinnati hasn’t been able to sign Higgins in the past two off-seasons. They tagged him for 2024, but with financial constraints tied to Ja’Marr Chase, it makes sense to get value for Higgins if the Bengals aren’t serious championship contenders.”
ESPN currently gives the Bengals a 37.4% chance to make the playoffs, ranking ninth in the AFC. While this may seem low for a team that has reached the AFC Championship in each of Joe Burrow’s two fully healthy seasons, their 3-4 record includes tough losses to division leaders like Kansas City, Washington, and Baltimore. With ten games left, there’s still time for Cincinnati to bolster its playoff odds.
However, if the Bengals do trade Higgins before the deadline, their chances of making the postseason could drop. Besides Ja’Marr Chase, who leads the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns, Higgins is the only other Bengals player with more than 25 targets and over 200 receiving yards. Trading him would leave a heavier burden on Chase and a relatively unproven group of pass-catchers.
