Ex-NFL WR wants Joe Burrow to pull a Tom Brady, shave money off $275,000,000 contract to fend off Tee Higgins trade
The situation between Tee Higgins and the Cincinnati Bengals has been strained over the last couple of months. The wide receiver did not receive the contract he wanted and, as the two parts couldn't get a deal, the Bengals used the franchise tag on him, keeping him for at least the 2024 season.
The Bengals have Joe Burrow earning a massive payday with his second contract, but former wide receiver DeSean Jackson thinks that the quarterback should change his mindset a little bit. Instead of cashing the maximum every time, Jackson says that Burrow should leave some money on the table to help Cincinnati keep both Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase in new deals:
"Joe Burrow might need to do what Tom Brady used to do back in the day. Readjust that contract and make room for both of these receivers.”
Tee Higgins Trade Rumors: Suitors keep it on the down low
It's clear that Higgins is looking for a long-term deal and it's prioritizing a bigger deal than his stay in Cincinnati - as he should, by the way. But it doesn't seem that the list of teams hoping to acquire his services is as big as one would've thought.
There was a rumor that the Baltimore Ravens called the Cincinnati Bengals to inquire about whether there was any possibility of an intradivisional trade, but it was quickly shut down by the Bengals. Teams are wary to pay him a lot of money because he had Ja'Marr Chase as his best friend – in other words, they don't know whether he's worthy of a WR1 contract.
One important caveat to this story is that the Bengals already lost wide receiver Tyler Boyd to free agency, so they don't have a strong trio of receivers as they used to. Keeping Tee would be a massive thing for them, but financially speaking, with Burrow's deal getting expensive and Chase set to extend his deal as well, Higgins becomes expendable.
Any team hoping to trade for him would need to let go at least a second-round pick – and probably a mid-round pick as well.