The Cincinnati Bengals may have missed their chance to capitalize on the initial phase of the Joe Burrow era.
With a 1-4 record to start the 2024 regular season, Cincinnati faces significant challenges, prompting them to consider how to best leverage their assets moving forward—meaning nearly everyone except Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase might be on the trading block.
The most valuable asset on the team, aside from Burrow and Chase, is wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is currently playing under a franchise tag of $21.816 million for 2024 and spent the offseason seeking a trade after his hopes for a contract extension fell through.
On October 8, ESPN’s Ben Solak proposed a trade between the Bengals and Washington Commanders, sending Higgins to D.C. in exchange for conditional third-round picks in 2025 and 2026.
After missing the first two games of the season due to a hamstring injury, Higgins has recorded 18 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns in three games.
“One of the biggest sellers at last year’s deadline should be one of the most aggressive buyers at this year’s deadline,” Solak noted. “With rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels showing promise, the Commanders can now actively seek to build a competitive team and make the most of his rookie contract. Higgins excels in vertical one-on-one matchups, which are crucial to Daniels’ game and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s system, and he adds a size element currently lacking in the Commanders’ receiving corps.”
Higgins’ Offseason Drama Over Contract
The Bengals entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but an offseason filled with drama—including limited training camp participation for both Chase and Higgins—has led to their disappointing start.
Higgins was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft (No. 33 overall) out of Clemson and signed a four-year, $8.68 million rookie contract. He recorded over 900 receiving yards in his rookie season and followed that up with two consecutive seasons exceeding 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022.
In Super Bowl LVI, which the Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams, Higgins made four receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2023, however, Higgins’ production plummeted to career lows with just 42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns. He also missed a career-high six games due to rib and hamstring injuries.
Higgins’ Market Value Soared in the Offseason
The Bengals could have signed Higgins to a contract extension at the end of last season for what now seems like a bargain.
According to *The Cincinnati Enquirer*, Higgins was seeking a three-year, $70 million extension, similar to the three-year, $71.5 million deal signed by Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman in February 2024.
In the months that followed, wide receiver contracts skyrocketed, with five of the six largest deals in NFL history for the position signed during that period, while Chase continues to pursue his own lucrative contract.
As those contracts were signed, Higgins’ market value increased significantly—he would undoubtedly compete with veteran Terry McLaurin for the No. 1 wide receiver position on the Commanders from day one.
According to Spotrac, Higgins’ current market value is estimated at a five-year, $98.5 million deal, averaging $19.7 million per year.
