With 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk potentially available in trade tonight, another receiver who is looking for a new contract might also be available.
Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, the first pick in round two of the 2020 draft, is restricted by the franchise tag. He’s due to make $21.8 million this year. He reportedly asked for a trade in March.
More recently, he said he expects to play for the Bengals this year. On Wednesday, however, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com posted this on X, in connection with defensive end Trey Hendrickson’s request for a trade: “Bengals franchise WR Tee Higgins also has requested to be traded being that there have been no contract talks with the team now in over a year.”
When the trade request originally was made, we heard that no one had engaged the Bengals. With teams now potentially trying to get Aiyuk, it makes sense to at least ponder the possibility of trying to get Higgins instead.
But how does that request mesh with Higgins’s public comments? It’s possible that Higgins is taking the high road, saying what needs to be said while his representation engages in the more difficult communications.
It all comes down to whether another team will pay Higgins what he wants and whether another team would give the Bengals the compensation they’d expect. If it’s going to happen, it makes sense for it to happen tonight.