Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins requested a trade after the franchise tagged him, claiming the team hasn’t broached a long-term extension with him in a year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The team slapped the $22 million franchise tag on the star wideout in February, securing his services for another year after he was set to become a free agent this offseason. That decision may have rubbed Higgins the wrong way, especially considering his claims that the team hasn’t engaged him in contract talks since March 2023.
Higgins apparently “loves” Cincinnati, per Schefter, but clearly not enough to bite his tongue.
Bengals franchise WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, per sources. Higgins loves Cincinnati and hoped to be with the team long term, but is disappointed that the team has not had any talks about a long-term contract extension since March 2023. He’s ready to move on to a new… pic.twitter.com/T0qy7uMu8n
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024
While I can appreciate a guy wanting the respect of being spoken to about his future with the team rather than getting impersonally slapped with a mandatory year-long extension, I can’t help but think Higgins is doing himself a disservice here. Your team is either going to trade you or they’re not. Publicly forcing their hand only serves to decrease Higgins’ trade value as the vultures around the league will notice Cinci’s decreased leverage and make weaker offers for Higgins. Thus, he’s actually diminishing the odds that he’s getting moved.
CINCINNATI, OHIO: Tee Higgins #5 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after a play in the fourth quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Paycor Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Joey Porter Jr. #24 of the Pittsburgh Steelers deflects a touchdown pass intended for Tee Higgins #5 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter of a game at Acrisure Stadium on December 23, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Tee Higgins #5 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on December 23, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Joe Sargent/Getty Images
But on top of that, this saga is proof of just how cold the business of football has become. You have a team that offers zero communication to one of their star players on whether or not he’s going to be with them long term. Then you have a player who, rather than ball out so ridiculously hard that a contract extension is undeniable, he puts his team in a tough spot with a public demand. (RELATED: First Round Pick Turned Journeyman QB Finally Finds A Home With Nine-Figure Deal)
Higgins is a great player, no doubt about it. But he’s still second fiddle to star Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase. Plus, third string wideout Tyler Boyd is one of the best, if not the best, third string receiver in the league, meaning Higgins is expendable to Cincinnati. So all this weight he’s trying to throw around is slightly misguided.
CINCINNATI, OHIO: Ja’Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates his touchdown catch with Tyler Boyd #83 during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dylan Buell/Getty Images
CINCINNATI, OHIO: Tee Higgins #5, Tyler Boyd #83, and Ja’Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals walk across the field during training camp at Kettering Health Practice Fields on July 26, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dylan Buell/Getty Images
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY: Tyler Boyd #83 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates with Ja’Marr Chase #1 (L) and Ted Karras #64 (R) after a catch for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium on September 25, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Maybe the Bengals will trade him, maybe not. My guess would be he stays put. But either way, the days of guys grinding with their heads down, making no noise and waiting their turn for a payday are clearly behind us. We’ve seen it in years prior when stars like Saquon Barkley and Earl Thomas held out for bigger contracts. These days, NFL stars care way less about their team and winning and more about paychecks.