Sources – Franchise-tagged Bengals WR Tee Higgins requests trade،
CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins could be on the move.
Higgins has requested a trade to Cincinnati, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Higgins said he loved Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long-term, but was disappointed the team hasn't had discussions about a long-term contract extension since March 2023, according to reports. sources.
The news comes just hours before the NFL's legal tampering window opens before free agency at noon ET.
The fourth-year player from Clemson just completed the final year of his rookie contract. Cincinnati gave Higgins a one-year franchise tag worth $21.8 million for the upcoming season if the two sides fail to reach a long-term deal by July 15.
But that doesn't seem likely. Even before the start of the 2023 season, there had been little to no movement on a possible contract extension, a source told ESPN.
On Monday, a source told Schefter that those talks stalled in March 2023. In four seasons with the Bengals, Higgins amassed 257 catches, 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. Last year, injuries contributed to his least productive season since the Bengals drafted him in 2020. The second-round pick appeared in 12 games and caught 42 passes for 656 yards and five touchdowns.
At the NFL scouting meeting in Indianapolis, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said the team wanted to keep Higgins for at least another season. However, unlike the previous year in which Tobin flatly rejected the idea of trading him, he left the door open for a potential trade this offseason.
“The reason we franchised it is because we would love to have it,” Tobin said. “He is not under contract and it is difficult for me to predict all the different scenarios that could happen, but we are very committed to Tee Higgins and his fit with us.”
This is the second year in a row that a prominent Bengals player has requested a trade. Last March, offensive tackle Jonah Williams looked to make a move after the team landed Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency, which moved Williams from left tackle to right tackle. However, the team never complied with the request. He played in all 17 games at right tackle during an expiring contract season.
