- The original version of this story appeared on NBCSportsChicago.com.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins could be on the market after all, it appears.
Fans have seen the leap young quarterbacks have taken when they got a star wide receiver, like Josh Allen with Stefon Diggs for the Buffalo Bills. Or Jalen Hurts with A.J. Brown for the Philadelphia Eagles, who are playing in the Super Bowl. Or even Tua Tagovailoa with Tyreek Hill for the Miami Dolphins.
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With a free agent class currently lacking options at receiver, trades for players like Higgins are the source of hope for fans. And thanks to one tweet on Friday sourcing a column from The Athletic, the trade for Higgins discussion kicked into another gear.
"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," Bengals writer Paul Dehner Jr. wrote.
A lot of dominos would need to fall to create the opportunity to trade Higgins for in the first place.
New England Patriots
The first of those dominos is a breakdown in discussions between the Bengals and Higgins.
The next would be Higgins demanding a trade, away from a Bengals team that went to back-to-back AFC Championships with Joe Burrow under center.
Perry's Mailbag: Can Patriots acquire one of these star WRs via trade?
Dehner Jr. notes the most likely outcome of the situation is Higgins playing out the final year of his rookie contract, just as Jessie Bates did. The Bengals would have the option of slapping the franchise tag on Tee Higgins and kicking of trade talks next offseason.
The Bengals have an estimated $44 million in cap space, the fourth-most in the NFL. All but four starters on both sides of the ball are under contract through next year.
So the Bengals have the flexibility to get an extension done. But the situation is worth monitoring nonetheless.