NFL Rumors: Bengals refuse to rule out Tee Higgins trade with star WR’s extension looming

Tee Higgins will enter the 2023 NFL season in a difficult position. This is the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him just $4 million. He has combined to record more than 3,000 yards and totaled 19 touchdowns during his first three seasons, so he should be in line for a massive contract extension after establishing himself as an elite wide receiver.

The Cincinnati Bengals' current situation may prevent Tee Higgins from receiving the contract extension he's seemingly earned during his time with the team. One of the main reasons for this is Ja'Marr Chase. While Higgins has been among the top wide receivers in the NFL, he hasn't been the best wide receiver on his own team. This could significantly affect his future.

According to The Athletic, the Bengals have several scenarios to consider when making a decision on Tee Higgins' future, including potentially trading him:

"Higgins is not a free agent. His contract dictates he reports and plays for the last year of his deal, worth $4 million, but conversations need to be had about a long-term contract. If the numbers are outrageous and it’s clear the two sides won’t see eye to eye, the Bengals could go the route taken by multiple teams in recent seasons and deal the receiver for a top draft pick and start the cycle over with a rookie receiver.

"A.J. Brown was dealt in Tennessee to Philadelphia for picks 18 and 101 last year. The first-round pick turned into receiver Treylon Burks. Minnesota traded Stefon Diggs to Buffalo for the No. 22 pick, which turned into Justin Jefferson. Both veteran receivers promptly were given large extensions by the acquiring teams. There are other examples, but you get the point."

The report added:

"The Bengals can also choose to bank on Higgins reporting this year and playing, then deal with extensions and franchise tags (or potential tag and trade) in 2024.. Maybe Burrow takes less and says give that money to Higgins so the weapons stay together. Many options exist and the Bengals will have to sort through all of them. The most likely outcome would be Higgins playing out the last year of his rookie contract."

Paying both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as top-end wide receivers like they deserve is almost impossible for the Bengals to accomplish. This is especially true when considering Joe Burrow will be due a contract soon as well. He is expected to become one of the highest-paid players of all time when he gets his eventual contract.

This has led to the possibility of the Bengals seeking trade partners for Tee Higgins. Several NFL teams have opted to do so with receivers approaching a massive payday. They have often traded them for picks in the NFL Draft and use them to select their replacements.

If the Bengals want to keep the trio together, they may all have to take a pay cut in some way. It's unclear if any or all of them would be willing to do so. The combination of Chase and Higgins is one of the main reasons why the Bengals' offense has been so good over the past two years. They were one of the best duos of wide receivers in the entire league during the 2022 NFL season.

Are Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase the best WR duo in the NFL?

Only these five pairs of wide receivers exceeded 1,000 receiving yards each during the 2022 NFL season:

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin

Of the five duos, two of them didn't play together during the 2021 NFL season, while another failed to feature both exceeding 1,000 yards. This leaves just Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as the duo of Chase and Higgins. They are the only two duos in the NFL to each exceed 1,000 receiving yards on the same team in each of the past two seasons.

The statistics clearly show that Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are among the top duos of wide receivers in the entire NFL. Given their relative age and potential to improve even further, a strong case can be made that they are at the very top of the list.