Tee Higgins takes a U-turn “anticipates” playing for the Bengals after requesting a trade
Tee Higgins expects to remain with the Bengals after saying to reporters that he loves the city and is looking forward to it. If it happens, it will mark a turn in the posture of the player, who at one time looked to have his heart set on being traded from Cincinnati. He said,
"I do anticipate it you know Cinci is ….growing up, you know I love for Cinci he that I didn't think I would look but I look forward to it."
Tee Higgins might be realizing that Bengals is the best place to be in this market
One of the reasons Tee Higgins could have become more amenable to staying back with the Cincinnati Bengals is that with them he is a genuine contender. As long as Joe Burrow is back fit and firing, they have a chance to win the Super Bowl. That is not the case with other teams. Furthermore, playing with a strong quarterback behind you also will help the statistics for a receiver like him.
The other reason might be purely market-driven. Wide receivers might not be in as much demand as in previous years this season because of the NFL Draft. From Malik Nabers to Marvin Harrison Jr. to Brian Thomas Jr., this rookie class has enviable depth when it comes to the position. It means that players like Tee Higgins are unlikely to get the best value in this market.
Whatever the reason, this is good news for Joe Burrow. While one could argue that they could get a better receiver in the draft, he does not need any more change to his receiving corps if he can avoid it. He is returning from an injury and has a new offensive coordinator this season and would be keen to have a supporting cast that he is familiar with.
In the last five years, the Kansas City Chiefs have represented the AFC in the Super Bowl on all occasions except once and lifted the Lombardi Trophy thrice, losing only once to the GOAT Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The only time in this period when they were not present in the title game was when the Bengals played in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams a couple of years ago.
They remain the team that has come closest to dethroning Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid's dynasty. If they are to finally achieve that objective, Joe Burrow will be happy that he still has Tee Higgins to throw the ball too, and is building on past years instead of starting anew.